Tried As By Fire
by horrorphile
Summary: Carol struggles to find her true self after the events of The Grove and being out on the road. This is a Caryl story so expect that Daryl will step up to help her. Morgan and Michonne will help too.
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to Alexandria

**Morgan**

Morgan had followed Rick home after he helped him get the murder site cleaned up. Daryl and Aaron had moved the bodies to a storage building. Women had swooped in and taken the grieving women away. Rick had introduced him to a man named Spencer who was wandering around the area. His dad had been killed by the man that Rick executed. Morgan had been searching for Rick for months and he was saddened that their reunion had been marred by finding Rick covered with walker muck and human blood. Morgan wasn't here to judge Rick; this world forced good people to do terrible things. Morgan had found a way out of his own pit of despair and he was hoping that he could finally join Rick's group. Not leaving Kingsborough with Rick when this all started had been a terrible mistake that had eventually killed Duane.

Rick had opened the door to his house, "My house is your house, but it isn't just my house. It's time for you to meet the family."

The house was sparsely furnished but there was a sectional sofa off to the right and Morgan saw a silver haired woman sitting with Rick's son Carl. The boy was taller now, almost more man than boy. He tamped down sorrow that he would never see Duane as a young man and concentrated on the woman. She was holding a baby and he wondered if this was Rick's baby girl. Had this baby made the journey from Georgia? Could that happen?

Carl met him with a handshake. Morgan had to smile at the boy's obvious curiosity. Carl must be worrying that this stranger posed a threat to his family. "I'm alright now. I really am."

Carl looked into his eyes and smiled, "Welcome to Alexandria. Come and meet Judith and Carol."

Morgan remembered seeing Carol at the fire pit. She had been at the meeting that ended with two men dead. She must have slipped away in the chaos to check on the children. She was calm and collected. Death was no stranger here either. She exchanged a look with Rick, "Go get a shower, Rick."

Rick nodded, "This is Morgan Jones. He saved my life when I was wondering around my hometown in a daze when this all started. Morgan, this is Carol. She takes care of all of us." Rick excused himself to clean up.

Carol was beautiful. Morgan just wanted to stare at her for hours. Her silver hair must belong to her mother because her face seemed too young to be framed by silver. The color fit her though. The silver accentuated her blue eyes. She didn't belong in this world. She was too clean, too pretty, and too fragile, but she was here. There was a resoluteness in the face that warned him that Carol had layers of protective coverings.

She shook his hand and he could feel callouses. She hadn't gotten those from playing golf at the country club. She seemed uncomfortable with his attention. Beautiful women are used to men admiring them and accept it as their due yet Carol seemed slightly apprehensive. He represented the unknown and Carol was cautious in dealing with the unknown.

He turned his attention to Judith who laughed at him and came into his arms easily. The feel of a human child in his arms brought tears to his eyes and he saw Carol's wary face soften a little. Her eyes were sad as they regarded Judith and he wondered what it was about this little darling that seemed to bring her sorrow.

Michonne came in with Daryl then. She shrugged off her coat and came over to him and held out her hands to take Judith. The baby went to her and he saw that there was more to this woman than being a warrior. He saw why Rick had referred to his group as his "family". Michonne was another surrogate mother to Judith and Carl and he wondered how close she and Rick were.

Carol left the room to heat up a late supper for them. Daryl followed her out and he wondered what their story was. Were they together? He hadn't seen them touch and he was certain had he been away and been as close to death as Daryl had been he would have hugged Carol when he got home. Daryl's eyes had met hers when he came in the house and he had favored her with a nod and almost smile.

He and Daryl ate hot vegetable soup and peanut butter sandwiches in the kitchen. The house was noisy with so many people and he sensed Daryl needed to decompress after his trip and coming home to find Rick with a gun in his hand. Maybe he did too. He had been alone a long time and Alexandria didn't seem quite real to him. Rick's family was real; it made him happy to sit in this kitchen. Michonne came in for a bowl of soup and a sandwich. Carl followed her with Judith who decided to sit on Daryl's lap. The soup was delicious and he complemented Carol. Daryl's eyes narrowed at him, but he chimed in with a "Thank you" of his own.

He met more of the family after that. Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, and Father Gabriel had come by to meet him. Glenn sporting a bandage and an arm sling from a recent injury. Later Eugene and Abraham joined them with the good news that Tara had woken up. Morgan didn't have a clue who Tara was but he still felt a share in the joy of her recovery. All human life was precious and her survival should be celebrated.

Michonne interested him the most. She had been with Rick and Carl when they took weapons from him. He had dreams about her after she left. Most were very pleasant. Beautiful and strong and though she physically looked nothing like Carol he could see that they were alike in some ways. Strong and resilient. Michonne was wary too, all survivors were wary now. Michonne wasn't as guarded as Carol and her smile lit up her face when she held Judith. Rick had finished his shower and he was talking to Michonne as she played with Judith. Morgan wondered if they were together.

Morgan felt the exhaustion of the long trip come over him. He needed some space. He and Rick would talk tomorrow. Carol spoke to him, "This place has a full basement with a bathroom. There is a fold out couch down there. Carl can show you the way." Carol must have recognized that he was weary. Rick had said that she "took care" of everyone.

Carl jumped up and Morgan said goodnight to everyone. The basement had a laundry room and a full bathroom, but it wasn't completely finished. The walls were unpainted drywall and the floor was concrete. He did see a wood stove down there. A dash of reality in a fairy tale land of Alexandria.

Carol appeared with sheets, blankets, towels, and pillows. "Is this alright?" She seemed anxious to go upstairs and Morgan decided to keep her talking.

"Has anyone checked out the wood stove?" He motioned toward the stove and Carol followed him over to it. "It's going to be a lot colder here than it is in Georgia."

"I'll have Daryl look at it. Rick isn't the handyman type." She was poised to flee and again he kept her there.

"I can check it out in the morning. This is a nice space down here. We could put up some walls and make a bedroom back there and still have a big room down here. You know for the odd sojourner that passes by." He was teasing her a bit. Carol eyed the space and he saw her inner fixer upper seep out.

"There is a building with building supplies here. We could find some studs and drywall. It needs mudded again before we could paint." Carol wasn't paying any attention to him. He understood. He used to rattle off to Ginny about his next home remodeling project. Her eyes would be glazed over by the end of the first sentence.

"Need to cut some wood too. Might find some already cut and dried and bring it back."

Carol nodded. "I haven't been down here except for doing the laundry. I'm a little claustrophobic. Silly thing to be afraid of in this world. Good night, Morgan. Welcome to Alexandria."

"It's alright to be afraid. It's our subconscious keeping us alert. Just can't let it control us." Carol looked at him then and he saw again that she was too tightly controlled. "Good night, Carol. Tomorrow we can go look to see if they have what we need to finish this room."

Carol gave him a wry look as if she had just recognized that she had brought down a blanket and was now committed to working with him on a project. He favored her with his most innocent smile.

"You got everything that you need?" Daryl's voice startled both of them. He had come down the uncarpeted steps silently as a cat. Morgan thought Daryl looked a little territorial but not in a bad way.

"Carol and I were just talking about the wood stove and finishing the downstairs. There is room for a family room, storage area, and a bedroom down here."

Daryl looked at the wood stove. "This could help keep the house warm this winter." He looked around the space. "There is room for a safe room in here too. There were walkers inside the walls tonight. We need a place to bring Judith if that happens again."

"We could put it here," Morgan chose an area close to the bathroom. "The plumbing is already here. The back wall is concrete blocks and we could build the other sides out of concrete and reinforce it with steel. Put a steel door on it. Put supplies in there."

"Put plenty of lights in there." Carol shivered at the thought of being stuck in that space.

"We'll add backup battery lights too." Daryl spoke quickly. "Let's go upstairs and let this man get some rest."

Morgan showered quickly and pulled the couch out. It was more comfortable than sleeping in car or an abandoned house. He could hear water running and people moving around upstairs. It felt like home. He closed his mind to the outside world and prayed to his creator. He wasn't sure why he had been led here but it seemed to him that this odd gathering of people who called themselves a family needed his help.

**Carol**

Carol had come home to check on Carl and Judith immediately after Rick executed Pete. She had decided today that keeping a doctor around might be more sensible than killing him for being abusive. Jessie, Ron, and Sam were living in a different house and maybe Pete would settle down and stop drinking. She had told Rick, "Not now" when Pete showed up drunk on his ass in the hope that Rick would let P ete show his true colors and Deanna would get that she needed Rick.

Pete killing Reg had stunned her. Deanna's ordering Rick to kill Pete had been another shock. So much blood spilled unnecessarily. The distinctive smell of human blood had hit her like a brick tonight. It brought back the smell on Mika when she had put the knife through her skull. That smell had been all around when she carried Lizzie's lifeless body back to the house. She and Tyreese had buried both bodies and she had scrubbed her hands trying to get the smell to go away.

Carol had left then to check on Carl and Judith. Part of her wanted to go with Jessie and comfort Sam. She resisted however. Sam wasn't her concern. He had a mother and a brother to take care of him.

Later Rick brought Morgan home and she understood that he was now a member of their family. She could sum up him physically: wiry build, around her age, African-American. Attractive but not handsome. He was personable, nice smile, polite, and oddly enough in this deadly world, gentle. He didn't talk much but he noticed things. She wasn't invisible to Morgan. He saw her and he showed that he liked what he saw. It had felt strange to have a man enjoy looking at her. He was checking her out in the living room and in the kitchen. The man had been out there too long.

Daryl didn't notice, but Daryl hadn't noticed much about her lately. He jeered at her new clothes but that was about it. He had taken a job of recruiting survivors to become new citizens of Alexandria and was out traveling with Aaron. She missed him; Daryl was her closest friend and he seemed to be drifting away.

She had brought the bedclothes to the basement because Michonne and Rick were talking and she didn't want that interrupted. Rick's attraction to Jessie needed to stop now. Michonne was good for Rick and she knew Rick needed to talk about killing Pete. Carl and Judith were upstairs. Daryl had went off to take a shower and to sleep in his nest in the house's former den. It was easier to just take them down than to find someone else to do it. She had planned to be in and out in no time.

Once she was downstairs Morgan had drawn her in by talking about to fix up the basement. That brought back bittersweet memories. Ed would start some project, screw it up, go off to get drunk with his buddies, and then she would fix it. Sophia would play close by content just to be close to her. She liked working on renovations and she was good at it. Carol wondered what it would be like working with a man like Morgan. Would he be so damn genial when the project went south?

Not to worry, Rick would claim him to reinforce the walls and to build barricades. Carl and Rick had raved about the defenses Morgan had around his place and he had been bat shit crazy then. He was in his right mind now and Alexandria needed him to design and build stronger defenses. Morgan wouldn't have time to spare after they got started, but maybe she could finish what he started.

Then as she was about to leave Daryl came downstairs. He had showered and dressed in clean clothes and combed his wet hair back from his face. It gave her a sudden burst of happiness that tonight Daryl would be sleeping here in this house. He and Morgan chatted about renovations and all she wanted was to talk to Daryl. Maybe open the whiskey that Mr. Thompson had given her. That brought back memories of the prison when she and Daryl would sip a glass of whiskey and talk while they worked on whatever needed to be done.

They left the basement together and Daryl put his hand on her arm when they were on the main floor. "I want to tell you something."

"I need to talk to you. I need to talk to somebody." Carol hated how damn weak she sounded, but always being strong and stoic wasn't who she wanted to be. She hadn't let herself feel anything while that kept the sorrow from overwhelming her but it didn't go away either. It was time to start letting her dammed up emotions out. Maybe talking with Daryl would be the first step.

Daryl stepped closer and put his other hand on her other shoulder forming a circle, a complete circuit. "Let's go make some coffee and talk."

Carol saw Rick standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He cleared his throat, "Abraham is here and he wants to talk. We need you to tell us about what is going on out there. We need you too, Carol."

Daryl bit his lip, "I'll be there in a minute. Just got to tell Carol something." Daryl waited until Rick left. "Aaron and I wouldn't have made it back without Morgan. There is a seriously fucked up group out there calling themselves the Wolves. I need to talk to them."

She rested her hands on his arms strengthening their connection. "We can talk tomorrow. What was it that you were going to tell me?" She shifted back to cool collected Carol. She was a good default persona.

Daryl flushed a little, "I hate the flowered sweater, but I really like the blue one. Seeing you wearing different clothes made me angry. Like you were turning into a new person, but I think you look real pretty in the blue one." He dropped his hands but she found the courage to hang on.

"Thank you, Daryl. I like the blue one too. I'm going upstairs. You can tell me tomorrow about what you found." Daryl had just told her that she looked "real pretty" in her favorite sweater and maybe for once she was not going to spend her evening evaluating the latest threat. She was going upstairs and doing some soul searching.

Judith was asleep and she tiptoed in and tucked the covers around the baby. It had been so cold out there tonight by the fire pit. Michonne had given her the side eye when she had talked about how often Rick had saved her. Michonne thought it was all part of the act because she hadn't known the Carol that had to be taught how to fight for herself. Rick had saved her and the others. He wasn't always right but he did his best.

Rick hadn't saved Sophia. His best wasn't good enough then. Carol had forgiven him that eventually, but she had never forgiven herself for waiting on that guard rail for someone else to save her daughter. Carol sat down in the rocker by the crib and let herself remember that day. The heat of a Georgia summer baking the asphalt and the smell of the walkers still in the air. Sophia running into the woods and everyone telling her to wait and let Rick do it. That had seemed right to her and she had waited for Rick while the others gathered around her.

She had wished for a long time that she and Sophia had both died that day. That God was punishing her for wanting Ed to die. She had done more terrible things since then than wishing an abusive husband to die. There was blood on her hands now. She was damned for that surely. How do you come back from the things that she had done.

Morgan Jones had held Judith tonight. Today he had saved Daryl and Aaron. His mind had broken from the weight of his grief after his wife and son were killed. He had done terrible things but he had come back. Do things happen for a reason? She wasn't the only person in Alexandria who was struggling with grief, guilt, regret…and rage. Maybe Morgan Jones was here to show them how to live with some measure of peace and happiness.

Carol went to bed after praying for a night without bad dreams.


	2. Making Your Wants Known

Making Your Wants Known

Carol was up making breakfast when Spencer came to the door. Daryl and Morgan were sitting at the kitchen counter drinking coffee and she was able to coax Spencer have a cup with them. Rick came downstairs with Judith and fed her breakfast as they talked about the Wolves.

Spencer handed Rick a note from his mother. "My mother can't deal with anything else right now. Losing Aiden and dad was too much. She is handing over control of Alexandria to you until she deals with her grief."

Rick read the letter, "She knows that I want to change things, right?" Spencer nodded. He took another cup of coffee and ate breakfast with them.

Rick's first project was reinforcing the walls and Morgan agreed to walk around the walls this morning and make some notes.

"Carol and I are going over to the storage building this morning and look for some supplies. We're going to remodel the basement, but I'll tour the walls before we go. Carol, can you be ready by ten o'clock?" Morgan glanced at Carol.

Carol gave him a level look, "The walls come first. We can do that project later."

Morgan grinned at her, "We'll get the stuff this morning. Won't take long to put the walls up. You can mud and paint the drywall. We can use that other end for storage. Put some shelves up. We'll need a run to get concrete blocks anyway. We can start the safe room today."

Carol suddenly smiled at him, "We'll need electrical supplies too. I can do that."

Morgan was delighted with her confidence. "Leave me something to do." Rick looked surprised and Daryl looked a little pissed. Morgan realized that Daryl probably thought of Carol as his "person", but he had had nearly two years to seal the deal and he hadn't yet. Carol deserved a man who treated her like the queen she was. It was time for Daryl to make his wants known. Either piss or get off the pot.

Rick wanted to go around the walls now and Morgan asked for a notebook. Carol brought him one with various sketches of Alexandria. He glanced at it and then at her, "I started that the first night we were here. The next pages have all the information that I have about the way the town operates." Carol handed him a pen, "Good luck."

He leafed through the sketches, "You're an artist. Not everyone can draw perspective like that."

She blushed ever so slightly, "I don't draw anymore."

Daryl was looked irked again, "I'll go with you to the storage building."

Morgan smiled, "That would be great. We can use some help getting the supplies back."

Daryl looked at Carol who had taken Judith from Rick. "There's a building supply place about ten miles away. Maybe we can take a run to get supplies if we need it." Morgan heard the slightly stressed "we" and knew Daryl wasn't completely oblivious.

Carol seemed pleased at the thought, "I'll make a list."

Morgan followed Rick, Spencer, and Daryl out the door, "Be back by ten."

Michonne met them in the hallway as they were leaving. She spoke to Morgan, "Maybe sometime you could give me a few lessons on using that walking stick as a weapon."

He smiled at her, "Maybe this evening? You could give me a lesson on the katana."

Rick said abruptly, "We need to get started."

Daryl turned to hide his smile and he looked back into the kitchen. Carol was talking to Judith who was kicking her heels and laughing. The morning sunlight warmed the room and he felt a tug to stay there. He didn't want to go out into the cold morning. Maybe for once he could just stay here at home.

Michonne snickered at him, "Looks like somebody has been homesick."

"Go to hell, Michonne. When did you need anybody to show you how to use a weapon?" Daryl left on that. Always get out when the gettin's good."

Michonne said, "What's for breakfast?"

"Oatmeal, toast, and applesauce."

Michonne poured herself a large cup of coffee. Carol had presented her with an oversized mug two days ago and no one else dared use it. She scooped out a big bowl of oatmeal, sat down, and took a bite of oatmeal, "How do you make this taste so good?"

"Cinnamon and applesauce. Spencer brought a note to Rick. Deanna is giving him control of Alexandria for a while. So are you on duty as a constable today?"

"Going out to patrol the mean streets of Alexandria. Do you think Rick can handle this?" Michonne picked up Judith out of her seat.

"He needs your help, Michonne. You made the right call to come here. We had been out there too long. Rick will focus on making this place safer. You'll need to help him with making day to day decisions." Carol wiped off the counter and heard a knock on the back door. Only one person used that door. Sam. Damn.

Sam stood there looking woebegone. Carol opened the door reluctantly. This kid was hard to shake off. "Does your mother know where you are?"

"She's still asleep. Mrs. Moore gave her a pill last night. Can't I come in?"

Carol considered the question. Opening the door to Sam brought with it too many memories of lost children. She should say no and send him back to his own house. He was in his own way too easy to love. Sneaky and cocky and prone to eat too many cookies. Opening the door now was accepting that this boy had weaseled his way into her life.

She opened the door ungraciously, "Come on in. I'll give you breakfast but then you have to go home."

Sam greeted Judith with a high five and regarded Michonne cheekily, "Do I need a lawyer?"

Michonne regarded him drily, "Not yet, but the day isn't over yet."

Sam grinned at her and she saw why Carol had opened the door. He had a certain roguish charm.

Carol added a few ingredients to the oatmeal. Sasha called from the front door, "Anybody home?"

Michonne answered, "We're in the kitchen, come on back."

Sasha walked in the kitchen carrying her rifle. She looked cold and weary. Carol poured her a cup of coffee. "Sit down and I'll make you some breakfast. How is Tara?"

"She's weak, but she managed to give me a fist bump. Think she is gonna make it." Sasha took a sip of coffee, "Hot coffee. A reason to live".

Sam sidled over to Sasha, "That's a big gun. You're the woman in the tower, aren't you?"

"It's a weapon, not a toy. So keep your hands off of it." He nodded at her solemnly and she recognized him as Pete's son.

Carol put a glass of milk on the table, "Sit down, Sam. Have you ever had an oatmeal cake?"

He shook his head and she placed a plate with something that resembled a pancake on it. "Try it."

Carol put another oatmeal cake in front of Sasha. She picked it up and took a bite. "It's good. My grandmother made these. Don't tell grandma, but yours are better."

"Applesauce and cinnamon, makes everything taste better," Carol bit into her treat, "My grandmother made them too."

Sam gobbled his down. Michonne tried one and liked it, "I am going to go take a stroll around town. I'll be back to keep an eye on Judith."

Sasha ate slowly. Sam finished his toast and applesauce because Carol wouldn't let him have more than two oatmeal cakes. He went home reluctantly, "I'll go see if Mom is awake."

Carl came down, grabbed a piece of toast and an oatmeal cake and took off.

Sasha got another cup of coffee and sat back down. "Tyreese told me what happened one night when we were on watch. Everything."

Carol sat down on a chair. "Tyreese forgave me. He was the best man I'll ever know."

Sasha nodded, "I wish I had taken my sniper gun and shot the Governor when he was outside the walls. I could have killed him before he killed Hershel. You weren't right to kill Karen and David but I understand. I would have done anything to keep the prison. We're all adrift without it."

"I'm sorry that you had to be the one to put down Lizzie. I know you loved those two girls. You did what you had to do. It's time to move on, forgive yourself, and start a new life here." Sasha's voice was so gentle and for the first time Carol saw Tyreese in her.

"Can you do that?" Carol felt her control slipping. Time to go on the attack so that she didn't fall apart in front of Sasha.

"I'm trying. It was easier to be the woman in the tower mowing down walkers as they came up to the walls. It's hard to let myself feel something other than rage. Maggie, Gabriel, and I had a prayer meeting last night. I took watch last night and I let myself mourn and I began to see how much we are all hurting. How much pain that you are holding in. Felt like Tyreese was telling me to go talk to you this morning. Let you know to let the walls down."

Carol felt the tears began to fall. "I don't know how to let go without just giving up."

"People like you and me don't give up. You don't just let go, you give it to God. Just don't pick it up again. You ask for help from the people around you. You accept what you can't change." Sasha handed her a napkin to use to wipe her face. "Know that you are loved by your family. We have your back, Carol."

Sasha stood up, "I'm going to go find my bed and go to sleep. Maybe I'll rest better. No more bad dreams."

Carol stood up and hugged her goodbye, "I loved Tyreese too."

Afterward Carol wiped her eyes again and tackled the dishes. Michonne came back and took Judith for a stroller walk through town. It had warmed up quickly today and Judith liked being outside.

Carol was gathering rulers, tape measures, pencils, and paper in the living room. She liked to have exact measurement before she started a project. Sam was sitting on his front steps and Daryl was coming down the street. Daryl glanced at the boy and slowed down to talk to him. They both looked toward this house and Daryl said something else and Sam got up from the steps.

"Did you make oatmeal cakes?" Daryl let himself in and Sam followed him like a shadow. She had always turned leftover oatmeal into cakes at the prison and she always saved some for Daryl.

Carol laughed and it felt strange but good. "I did but Sam ate them all."

Daryl turned to Sam, "You ate my oatmeal cakes. Damn, boy, you got some balls on you."

"I ate two. Miss Carol wouldn't let me have anymore. Can I hold your crossbow?"

"Now you can't. It's a weapon, not a toy. Besides you ate my oatmeal cakes."

Carol decided that somebody had to be the adult here. "I'm going downstairs. Daryl, your oatmeal cakes are in the microwave. Sam, go ask your mother if you can help me with a project." Sam scooted out.

"The little cock blocker is out of the house. Kinda romantic. You wanna screw around." Daryl smirked at her. "I didn't come back here just for oatmeal cakes."

"Staap." Carol felt her cheeks burn, but she wasn't going to let Daryl get the last word. "You invited the little cock blocker over. So go enjoy your oatmeal cakes."

Sam scampered up the steps of his house and was in and out in a matter of seconds. Carol saw him jump the last two steps, "Boys always jump the last two steps."

Daryl had been watching with her, "Let's keep him busy today. His dad was a shit, but he was his dad."

Sam helped her measure basement walls. Daryl ate his treat while loudly proclaiming how good it was to aggravate Sam who he called "Sam I am."

Daryl was only interested in the safe room. He inspected every part of the basement and finally chose a corner. "We'll have two walls already that way. We can plumb water over there. Times get good, we'll have our own wine cellar or our own little soundproofed love nest."

Sam I am was in the other side of the basement. Carol whispered to Daryl, "Staap. What is with you today?"

"Marking my damn territory. Don't want no dark horse candidate sniffing around you. Mr. Zen Warrior will be back any minute now proclaiming this is the age of Aquarius or some shit like that." Daryl drew lines on the floor with a piece of chalk to mark the outlines of the safe room.

Carol remembered Daryl coming downstairs last night. His hands on her shoulders when they came upstairs. Daryl was jealous of Morgan. "We're friends, Daryl, we better leave it like that. I'm gotten nothing to give you."

"We are more than friends. Always have been. I'll never ask for more than you can give. I promise you that." He finished with his outline. Sam bounded over and Daryl glanced at him, "Sam I am, I need you to help me check out this stove."

Sam followed Daryl around like a puppy and Daryl kept him busy with helping him clean up the stove. Michonne came back with Judith who was ready for her nap. Carol gave her the express tour of the renovations. Sam and Daryl were making a mess and the womenfolk decided to go upstairs.

Michonne rocked Judith while Carol went through her sketches and notes in the living room. "You and Daryl are good with Sam. It does take a village to raise a child."

Carol decided to let down a bit of the wall, "Sam is blackmailing me. I am at his mercy."

Michonne laughed, "Oh, no. Did he find out that you put a laxative in the casseroles?"

Carol shook her head. "Worse than that. I was the one who stole the guns. The little sneak caught me. I tried to scare the hell out of him to keep him from telling. I told him a story that scared the hell out of me. The next morning he came by and told me that I had to buy his silence with cookies. He is ruthless. He is just toying with me."

Michonne laughed until the tears came, "The woman who brought down Terminus was bested by a nine year old. I love that kid. You two together could own this town. The casserole lady and the cookie monster, love it." She sobered up and Carol could see bottomless sorrow in her eyes, "I know that you are trying to keep him at arm's length and I know why. I used to avoid Judith like the plague. I had a little boy named Andre who was killed in a camp when this all started. It took me a long time to come back from that and I'll never stop missing him. Always will have that hole that nothing can ever fill, but I have room to love other people. Now I am going to put this little girl in her crib and I'm going to stay here and watch over her while you gather supplies." Michonne was crying again and Carol put her arm around her and for a little while they both wept as they watched Judith sleep.

AN

The only person Tyreese would tell his story to would be Sasha. I am tired of Daryl's emo act and I refuse to write a sentence about him peering around his hair helmet to talk to people. Carol has scissors and isn't afraid to use them.

How do you like this story. Review?


	3. Deer Hunter

The Deer Hunter

Carol was looking over her revised list to ensure that she had enough of everything that she thought she might need for renovation. Carl and Ron were downstairs in the basement with Sam. Carl had decided that he wanted a bedroom in the basement and that meant she had to redo her list.

Daryl went into his room and sneaked a look at the list that he had devised last night. Morgan being here changed everything. Morgan checking out Carol's ass changed everything. Back at the prison everyone knew that he and Carol had something going and they were too afraid of him to hit on her. Carol had been content to be his friend and he had been too afraid to change that. Then, the flu struck and he had to leave her there while he went to get medicine. Leave there with the walkers pushing against the fence and the dead piling up in the prison yard.

He had been terrified that something would happen to her while he was gone. He had been willing to stay in the friend zone because it was safer than finding out that Carol never wanted more than friendship from him. Patrick's death, the death of a healthy boy who had stood beside Carol cooking a day ago shocked him into realizing that he was more afraid of losing her than being afraid that she wouldn't want him. He had come home to the prison with the intention of making the something between them a real thing.

Daryl still had nightmares about walking around the prison looking for Carol. In his dreams everyone he asked would say, "Talk to Rick". He could never find her and he would wake up heart terrified that she was lost to him. That he hadn't found her in the woods outside of Terminus or that she hadn't walked out of Grady wounded but alive. That Carol wasn't waltzing her saucy ass around Alexandria pretending to be a soccer mom.

He owed Morgan a favor. Morgan had reminded him that he had slipped back into the role of friend. Fuck being friendzoned. He was ready to be with her, but was Carol still too fragile from her physical and emotional injuries? It would be her call, but for once he wanted to let her know that he loved her and if she wanted to wear flowered sweaters and mom jeans? That was her call too.

Daryl was a hunter. He knew that the biggest prize was a trophy buck. You didn't get to bring home Bambi's daddy just because you owned a bow and could shoot at a bale of hay. You had to follow some guidelines to bag your deer. He developed a game plan for winning Carol based on deer hunting.

Dear Hunting Guide

Find the deer that you want. Daryl figure that was the easiest part. He wanted Carol.

Respect. Trophy deer are savvy. They have evaded lots of other hunters because they never let their guard down.

Patience. Some hunters just kept jumping from one location to the other. Pick the one you want and wait.

You have to blend in with the environment. Daryl had to admit that he needed to adapt to the world of Alexandria. Carol had threatened to hose him down if he didn't shower. That statement had given him the biggest woodie. She had even been wearing the blue cardigan when she said it. She had brought back some clothes for him to wear which he better start wearing once in a while. Get his damn hair cut.

Stay downwind. Sometimes he did get a little ripe. Carol had dumped some toiletries onto his bed while he was away. Didn't Merle tell him that women were very turned on by smell? He was going to start using that sandalwood soap.

Don't use the weapon until the deer is in range. He had to wait until Carol was ready. This was different from patience. This meant that Carol might be moving in his direction but he couldn't just jump her bones because that was what he wanted.

Buck Fever. Don't let yourself get so wound up that you don't take the shot. That you just don't just stand there and let the opportunity past. Daryl had suffered from that in the past with Carol. He never wanted to say "Staap" again.

Keep an eye on other hunters. This was a safety concern in deer hunting but with Morgan hovering around worth putting on the list.

Have your weapon ready. Daryl smirked. Not a problem.

Never hurt her. He had seen too many wounded deer suffer because lazy hunters wouldn't hunt them down. Carol was to be cherished and protected.

Daryl looked at his list and put it away. He had it memorized anyhow.

TWDTWDTWD

Carol had taken the two to six watch. She didn't want to go to the grave side service. Seen way too many of them. The tower had a good view of the town and the walls. She hadn't seen Daryl for hours. He probably just needed to get out of the walls and went out before she went on watch.

The services must be over now. Rick and Michonne had gone because Deanna had sent word that she wanted them there. Morgan and Abraham had worked on the safe room. She and Daryl had put up the inner walls. That part was relatively easy. Daryl had helped pull wires for the electrical outlets. They had agreed to stop this afternoon because using the hammer and drills while seemed a little disrespectful. Pete was a piece of sheet, but Reg had been a good man.

It was a glorious day. The leaves were changing colors and there was a cooling breeze here in the tower. Carol stretched. She had another hour on watch. It had been peaceful up here but she was starting to get lonely. She wanted to go home and see how the basement was going. Somehow that house was starting to feel like home.

Sasha talking about Tyreese, Michonne revealing that she had lost her son had made her cry this morning but she felt lighter afterward. She had laughed at Abraham when he dropped the block of his foot and exclaimed, "Son of a dick".

There were lots of people out on the street this evening, but Carol recognized Daryl before anyone else. He was carrying his run bag and her heart sank thinking that he had found another mission so soon. Her heart sank. Daryl leaving again. He had only been home one night. He was headed this way and she turned away so that she could put on her casual goodbye face. No need to think that his teasing her this morning meant anything.

She could hear his steps on the wooded stairs and she turned with a smile on her face prepared to tell him to "Stay safe". Her jaw dropped when she saw Daryl. His hair was cut as short as it had been at the quarry. He was dressed in the blue and white plaid shirt and dark blue cargo pants that she had chosen for him. He had shaved his beard. He looked good.

"Brought you supper. I have the watch after you and maybe we could eat together?"

Carol nodded. "I'm hungry."

Daryl opened his run bag and brought out an old tablecloth and some containers, "The good women of Alexandria fixed enough food for ten funerals. They fixed me up a to-go bag." _Those skanks._

Carol narrowed her eyes at him, "Who cut your hair?" She knew she sounded bitchy.

"Wasn't Jessie. Rosita did it. Tara is back at their house and Rosita cut my hair while Tara made fun of me. Don't you like it?"

Carol realized that she liked it too much, "It looks good. Let's eat. Glad it wasn't Jessie. Both you and Rick mooning over the new widow would be way too weird."

There were two chairs in the tower so they ate side by side. Daryl even had a bottle of homemade blackberry wine. Daryl poured her a second glass, "I'm here if you want to talk".

The wine, the food, the beautiful sunset, and Daryl smelling like the soap that she had left in his room had put her a happy place and she didn't want to visit the darkness right now. "I just want to be here now. Okay?"

"Let's just hang out then. Do have something to ask you." He looked a little apprehensive. Not quite sure about something. Daryl took a deep breath, "The basement is a mess. Mortar, mud, dust, insulation is everywhere. Morgan can't sleep down there. It isn't healthy."

Carol gave him a suspicious look. Daryl's sudden interest in Morgan's well-being seemed a little false. "So what do you want to ask me?"

"I was thinking that Morgan could sleep in my room."

Carol choked on her wine at the thought of Daryl and Morgan having a sleep over. Were they going to stay up all night playing video games? "You don't have to ask permission. You and Morgan can be roomies, if that is what your want."

"I want to sleep with you." Daryl realized that came out a little wrong especially since Carol had just taken another sip of wine. That wine was now partly on her top. She liked that top too. Shit.

"Daryl, I don't know what is going on with you today, but I'm not screwing you tonight." Carol realized that she had said that she wasn't screwing him tonight and not that she wasn't ever going to screw him. She took a gulp of the wine.

Daryl looked panicked but took a gulp of his wine, "I mean I want to leave my stuff downstairs and just sleep in your room. You have a big bed. We've slept side by side a hundred times. I will not touch you… unless you touch me first. Don't you trust me?" _That's it, play the trust car, and bring up all those times she had curled next to him to stay warm._

"So you just want a place to lay your head?" Daryl nodded. The wine was making her a little bold this evening, "Morgan could just sleep in my room and you wouldn't even be bothered." She laughed.

Daryl rewarded her by being furious, "That ain't so damn funny."

"I'm not serious. You can have half the bed and I get all the blankets." Carol sorted through the containers. "Brownies?"

"Be careful with those, I think that Mark and Clair Sears made those. Biggest potheads in town. Might want to wait until we're not on watch." Daryl was thinking that they could eat those some other time. _There was nothing in the deer guide about drugging your prey. Too bad because that might work. Bad Daryl._

Carol put the brownies back in their container. "Can't let Carl or Judith get near those. Better keep them in our room". _Shit, did she just say "our" room?_

"I won't get back until late tonight. Just scoot over on your side and I'll won't disturb you." Daryl went on to talk about the basement, "Morgan and Abraham are laying block this evening. Glenn and Rick are putting the insulation in. Michonne is going to hang out in the other house with Judith."

"Where is Sam? How is he doing?"

"He would have sneaked over here but I bribed Carl to keep him busy. I wanted to spend this evening without your shadow. What is up with that?"

Carol knew she was definitely feeling that second glass of wine but she went ahead to tell Daryl about the getting caught stealing guns by Sam and all the rest.

Daryl must be on his third glass because he laughed out loud. "Mata Hari got busted by a pint sized Hardy Boy and you are being extorted for cookies. All the good stuff happens while I am away."

Carol found herself looking at Daryl's face and wanting to run her fingers along the shaven jawline. She was glad she hadn't eaten the brownies. She was having control issues this evening as it was.

She left at eight o'clock. They had run out of wine way before that but not out of things to talk about. Michonne had walked over with Judith to tell them that Daryl's replacement had eaten too many brownies and he was going to have to stay until midnight. Michonne had kept her face straight but she was laughing out her eyes at them. Carol could have gone back with her but she wanted to stay. It was the first time since Atlanta that she and Daryl had a chance to talk.

Jessie's house was ablaze with lights as she walked by but Sam was in the basement with Carl. The drywall was up in one bedroom and the safe room had walls now. Everyone wanted praise for their work and she ladled it out. Glenn went home and she and Rick worked on drywall. He needed to stick to police work because he had no future in home renovations.

Carol walked Sam to his front door. Partly because she wanted to make sure he actually went home and to see how he was doing. He spoke first, "You don't have to make any more cookies."

"Don't you like my cookies anymore?"

"I'll keep your secret. That is what friends do. Can I still come to your house?" Sam had ran ahead of her on the steps and their faces were nearly level.

"Yes, you can come to my house because you are my friend. Goodnight, Sam."

He hugged her before she could pull away, "Goodnight, Friend Carol." He turned and bolted for the door.

Carol decided to go to bed. Daryl wouldn't be home for hours. She left him his half of the bed and an equal share of the blankets. She woke up as Daryl slipped into bed beside her. "Everything okay?"

"It got cold after you left, but it stayed quiet. Goodnight, Carol." Daryl was soon asleep.

Carol stayed awake for a while listening to his even breathing. She had slept between TDog and Daryl on those long months while they were on the road after they were escaped from the farm. She had felt safe when she was near them. TDog had grabbed those walkers in that corridor to give her a chance to live. Daryl had rescued her when she had been trapped in the tombs. TDog was gone to a deserved reward in heaven, but Daryl was here and he still made her feel safe when she slept beside him.

AN

Daryl has always been the hunter and in this story he is focused on showing Carol that he loves her.

Need reviews. Will write for reviews.


	4. Walls

Walls

Daryl was still asleep when Carol woke the next morning. It was still quite dark but the barest edge of the new day had dared to add a dab of the coming light to the room and she could see Daryl as well as feel him curled up next to her. She warred with herself for a bit; part of her wanted to sleep for an hour longer and the other wanted to escape while she still could.

She slid out of bed and dressed quickly. She didn't want to wake Daryl. He needed rest and she felt vulnerable this morning. He had as he promised stayed on his side of the bed, but she could smell the faint odor of his soap, feel the warmth from his body slide over her side, and hear him fight through bad dreams. He had jerked awake last night and put a hand on her shoulder touching her lightly for just a few seconds. He had sighed and turned over and when back to sleep.

He had known she was awake and he hadn't meant to wake her. Her heart told her that he was just reassuring himself that she was there. He had followed her out of the church that night and if he hadn't she might have taken off. Left everyone she loved because she couldn't bear to watch them die.

All the way back on the farm she had said to Daryl, "I can't lose you too." Daryl had looked shocked and furious calling her a "Stupid bitch." She hadn't meant to say it. She didn't even know why she was so upset that he might die out there. She knew that her baby was dead, felt her gone in every part of her. Daryl didn't let go of people easily. He searched for Sophia when the others had given up and Carol hadn't let him wander away after her baby came out of the barn. They held on to each other.

It was true then and it was true now. She didn't want to watch him die and she had told him that in Atlanta. She had nearly died that hot summer day. Maybe she had died that day. She hadn't let herself feel alive since then, but there were faint slivers of life coming through. She had cried with both Sasha and Michonne yesterday and she had laughed last evening with Daryl. Slivers that were weakening her walls. She needed those walls now; her family would soon face the Wolves. It was time to reinforce walls and be ready to fight. It was warrior time.

Michonne was in the kitchen with Judith who seemed fussy. There was coffee already made. "What's wrong with Judith?"

Michonne looked up from her coffee, "Teething."

Carol remembered teething. Sophia had been miserable and she had let the world know it. "The colic was worse, but teething seemed to go on forever. Maybe we can find something at the pharmacy." She took a clean washcloth and poured water over it and put it in the freezer. "My grandmother told me she used that with me. You take it out when it is frozen and let the baby chew on it. It's frozen and that works for a little while."

"Andre never had the colic, but teething was horrific. He looked so cute when he smiled after the teeth came in that I forgot how bad it was." Michonne took an ice cube out of the freezer and wrapped it around another wash cloth. She rubbed it on Judith's gums. It seemed to offer a little relief and both mothers smiled at each other. Something had changed between them since Michonne had told her about Andre. They had both lost their children to this world. Mothers are supposed to keep their children alive and they had not. That failure had pushed both of them into becoming stronger. Michonne was letting go of her walls, telling her about Andre was part of that.

Michonne smiled again but this time there was a glint in her eyes, "So did the earth move? Not seeing a whole lot of afterglow, but Daryl did wheedle his way into your bed last night."

There were no secrets in this house, Carol reminded herself. "Daryl gave Morgan his room because the basement in a mess. He did watch last night and he needed a place to sleep. No earth was moved."

"So you and Daryl just had a sleepover? Damn, he had cut his hair and taken a shower. How could you resist those chiseled arms and blue eyes? Especially since those eyes have been hidden by the hair helmet for so long." Michonne was enjoying this.

Carol made herself a cup of coffee and added some to Michonne's cup, "Does that mean that you couldn't resist Daryl when you went on all those long trips to find the governor. Just you and him and a sky full of stars."

"Oh, Carol is being downright catty. Love it. Daryl and I are really just friends. The only itch between us was caused by fleas. We're mates, but not soul mates. He loves you, always has and always will." Michonne saw that Judith was almost asleep. "Daryl was dead inside when we found him out there with those monstrous men. He didn't come back to life until he found you in the woods outside Terminus. I'm going to put Judith back to bed and I'll help you make breakfast."

Morgan came through the door, "Let me make breakfast. I'm a magician with dried eggs."

Michonne took Judith upstairs and Morgan asked, "What is wrong with Judith? Is she sick?"

"Teething". Carol saw that Morgan understood about teething.

"Duane kept us awake lots of night. Jenny had a heart condition. Not bad but enough so that I would roll out of bed as soon as that boy started fussing. I used to freeze spoons and washcloths." He got a cup of coffee. "Being a good father was important to me. I didn't have a good role model in dear old dad, but Jenny's dad was everything that I wanted to be. God rest his soul. Now where are the eggs?"

Carol handed him the can that was clearly marked "Dried eggs". Morgan smiled, "Can you make biscuits? Mine always look like hockey pucks."

Carol could make biscuits and they worked together companionably. Morgan talked as he worked, "I spent so much time alone that I talk my head off when I am with people."

"You just had the one son? You seem like you would have wanted more children." Carol had learned to keep people talking and that way you never gave much of yourself away."

"We adopted Duane when he was a baby. Jenny's heart was never strong. I knew that we could never have children together. I was twenty and she was eighteen when we met. I had this buddy in the army. He asked me to come home with him for a week's leave. I didn't want to go to my parent's house so I went with him. Sunday morning the whole family got up had a big breakfast and then we went to church. That was all new to me."

He chuckled and threw some ingredients into the eggs. "Jenny was sitting on the other side of the church. She was beautiful. I couldn't stop looking at her and after church I asked my friend who she was. Turned out that they were cousins and he introduced us. Her father and mother were standing beside her and I was doing everything I could to make a good impression. Our first date was Sunday night service and I walked her home. She told me then that she couldn't have children. I remember walking along holding her hand. It was April and the azaleas were blooming in South Carolina and I knew that Jenny would always be enough for me."

Carol put her hand on his arm, "You must have been very happy." She heard something and turned and saw Daryl and Michonne standing there. She stepped away from Morgan, "Breakfast will be ready soon." Daryl's face looked angry. He was jealous of Morgan and that meant that he was both angry and hurt. She could let that anger and hurt come between them and then the walls would stay safely in place. Daryl would bolt out the door and she wouldn't have another supper with Daryl in the tower and he wouldn't be in her bed again.

Carol handed Michonne the oven mitt, "Don't let the biscuits burn. I'll be back in a minute."

Daryl was at the front door when Carol caught up with him. She followed him out onto the porch. "You are going to eat breakfast before you go to work."

"I ain't hungry." He was hungry and she knew it. He was hurt and she knew that too. It was her turn to hold on.

"I don't want to lose you. You stopped me from running one night while we were on the road. I'm stopping you from running now." Daryl looked at her then, a quick questioning look, and she went on, "Don't you know that you'll always be enough for me?"

Daryl stared out at the walls of Alexandria. She waited. He was on the first step and she remembered Sam's hug the night before. There was a hint of Merle in his smirk, "I could eat. Does this mean that I can scoot over on your side of the bed?"

"It means that you know that I am trying. It means that you're the one who I hold onto whether we are falling off overpasses or fighting walkers. Let's go before Michonne lets the biscuits burn." Carol turned to go, "There's jelly."

Daryl put his arms around her and lightly kissed her, "Don't want to lose you. Do you have to be so damn pretty in the morning?"

"Get a room". Carol looked up to see Sasha and Spencer grinning at them. Daryl gave them the finger.

Carol invited them in for breakfast and gave Daryl a reproving look. "You do this shit again Dixon and I am kicking your ass out of my bed. Just saying." She pushed away from him, "Let's go rescue the biscuits."

Daryl murmured, "Fuck the biscuits."

Carol ignored the obscenity. Daryl managed to eat enough biscuits with jelly to show that he didn't mean it. Morgan's eggs were a long way from magical but Daryl was able to choke down a plateful.

Rick came down with Judith who chewed on the frozen washcloth and applesauce. "I am going to need you women to do more watches."

"I think you should pair us up with the women of Alexandria. We can show them what to look for. Two pairs of eyes are better than one anyway." Carol put jelly on her biscuit and went on, "We might want to move part of those weapons out of the armory. Putting them in one place is a bad idea."

"We hide some of them in our safe room. We give weapons to those people who can use them and we start training the others." Michonne got up to give Carl her seat and get some more coffee.

Sasha and Spencer reported that they it had been quiet on watch. Morgan asked Daryl to tell everyone about his encounter with the Wolves. Daryl talked about the walkers stored in trailers and the mutilated bodies with a "W" cut into their foreheads.

Morgan waited until Daryl was finished and he recounted his encounter with two wolves. He played with Judith's curls and spoke softly. "They're killers and killers have a pattern. The stored up walkers are part of their killing technique. They must move them with those trailers. You saw the signs about wolves in Richmond so they are mobile. That means they move the walkers by trucks. My guess is that they'll create an opening in the walls. They'll send the walkers in to clear out most of the town. Then they'll gather the walkers up and go in and kill whoever is left."

"How do they gather the walkers back?" Rick asked.

Michonne remembered Merle Dixon turning the cd players up as loud as possible as they started their parade of walkers toward the rendezvous point with the Governor. "Walkers move toward sound. Maybe the wolves leave some bodies in the trailers and that attracts the walkers back in."

TWDTWDTWD

Carol did watch from ten o'clock until twelve with Jan Salyers. Carol brought a rifle and a pistol and Jan knew how to use them. She had been stationed at Fort Belvoir when virus hit. She had been part of an Army mission to evacuate Northern Virginia and had been left behind when a walker herd caused the trucks to roll out half empty. Jan had found Alexandria months later. She was combat ready. Jan left at twelve to be part of the group that was guarding the men working on the walls

Jessie came on at twelve and stayed until two. Carol spent those two hours getting Jessie used to handling both a rifle and a pistol. Jessie didn't seem very interested in self-defense and Carol wondered why Rick had paired them up. Was Carol supposed to mentor Jessie? Was she supposed to be the instructor in "Surviving Domestic Abuse and the Zombie Apocalypse 101?"

Jessie was a mass of contradictions to Carol. She had just buried her abusive husband and she seemed more interested in watching Rick work at reinforcing the fences than learning how to handle a rifle. She declared herself able to "Take care of herself" but wasn't interested in self- defense. Did Jessie think that Rick was her knight in shining armor? Jesse seemed to love her two boys but Carol knew that she was a laissez-faire mother. Her boys were free to roam at will.

Something was off about Jessie and Carol wondered if she was using some sort of prescription medication. Maybe Pete had kept her supplied with pills so that she could stay at her "happy place" while he drank. Jessie was all sunny and cheerful today and she gave Carol the creeps.

Sam had shown up in the guard tower before he knew his mother was there. Carol let him stay because he would probably wander around town if Jessie wasn't home. He was quieter than normal. He watched men work on the walls and putting up barricades. Abraham and a crew were clearing the area outside the gates of Alexandria and Michonne, Maggie, and Francine were on guard duty around them.

At two Michonne came on duty with Clair and Olivia. She was only going to spend a couple of hours there and they were on their own until six. Sasha and Spencer were on from six to ten and then it would be Carol and Daryl from ten until two. Aaron and Morgan were two until six. Rick and Carl would take the six until ten shift tomorrow morning. No one was going to get much rest but Carol understood. The Wolves were coming for them. She wasn't making any casseroles today.

Carol had a group of women waiting on the front porch when she went home. They wanted to learn how to fight and she and Michonne took them outside the walls. The construction had the local walkers all aflutter so the lesson was taken seriously. Spencer had talked to people today about the wolves and they had listened.

Dinner that night was a casserole that one of the good ladies of Alexandria had made. Morgan and Daryl hung the steel door in the safe room and stocked it supplies. Carol woke up when Daryl came upstairs. His hair was still wet from his shower when he got in bed.

"Behave yourself, Carol. I am too tired to do anything but sleep." He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips as he had this morning. "We have two hours to sleep." Daryl went to sleep and Carol slid closer to him.

Sasha and Spencer had been tense when they got there. "Something is out there. Be careful". Spencer warned.

"They are scoping us out. Looking for weaknesses." Sasha shivered. "It is cold tonight too."

It was cold and dark tonight. Carol stayed on one side behind a wall and Daryl on the other. Carol knew too well that a high powered rifle round would go through the wooden walls of the tower. The walls had openings so that you could watch without stepping out into clear view.

Carol had told Merle that she "Wasn't afraid of anything" and that wasn't true anymore if it had been true then. She was afraid of losing the people she loved, she feared dying as much as anyone, and she was terrified of the Wolves. The only thing that kept her from running is that she couldn't leave Daryl to do this alone.

Daryl whispered, "I'm scared shitless. How about you?"

Carol smiled, "Wanna screw around?"

Daryl laughed softly, "Say that again at two o'clock when were back in bed."

Carol saw something move at the edge of the tree line. She would have liked to empty her round in that direction but that would only alert the Wolves and wake the town. She cleared her throat, "Baby steps okay?"

"Don't you know that you'll always be enough for me."

AN

Carol and Daryl still have a way to go. "Baby steps" you know.

Review please.


	5. Interlude

Interlude

Carol kicked off her boots and wondered if getting undressed was worth the trouble. The Wolves were quite literally at the doors of Alexandria tonight. The attack could come at any time.

Daryl came out of the bathroom looking weary, "Add some heavy clothing to your run bag. It's colder here than Georgia." Being prepared for the worst was part of who they were.

"We're not going to lose this place." Carol was surprised at the fierceness in her voice, "The Wolves have woken the citizens of Alexandria out of their happy little dream world. They are starting to get it. You either fight or die in this world and most of them have chosen to fight."

He sat down on the bed beside her. "So you have chosen to fight for Alexandria? Why?"

"I want to see the basement finished. I want to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas here. I want to see Judith go to school and Carl get married. I want to spend the rest of my life sleeping in the same bed with you. I want a home." There it was out and she knew how dangerous it was to have hope, to declare a want out loud where an uncaring universe could hear.

Daryl stood up and grabbed her feet and moved her legs so that she was lying on the bed. He stripped off her socks and began kneading her feet with his calloused hands, "In Atlanta you said that the you that was at the prison got burned away. You said that this world consumes you. The fire burns the dross away and whatever is left is stronger for it. You never let anyone get really close to you at the prison after we lost Lori and Andrea."

There was truth in what he said and Carol admitted, "I liked not being vulnerable. You were okay with that too."

Daryl nodded, "We're two of a kind in lots of ways. The prison gave us important jobs to do. Our job was who we were. Then the prison was taken away. We both went through the fire. I let my past get burned away. It felt good to watch it burn. I couldn't change what had happened but I could stop letting it control me. Coming here was a new start for us. I meant what I said in that barn. We're not dead."

"Who am I? The cold merciless killer or the happy homemaker that I pretend to be?"

"It wasn't just a role, this sweet cheery woman who smiles at everyone. That's part of you. The woman who blew up Terminus and who views everyone as a potential thread is part of you. They aren't different people, they are all you. I saw you today working with the other women on how to fight. You made them feel that they were stronger and more capable than they thought they were." Daryl had watched her from the tower, watched her slender graceful figure move in and around the other women demonstrating how to use knives to kill walkers. He had been both proud and terrified, but he accepted that to be part of the toll for loving such a complicated woman.

"I need to tell you what happened on the road with the girls." This was as good a time as any. She began by explaining how she had tracked the girls and Tyreese. Her voice wavered when she talked about making pralines with girls and how Mika had resisted killing the deer. Carol looked at her hands when she got to the part of the story where she finds Mika covered with blood and the depth to Lizzie's madness is revealed.

Daryl has pulled her down onto the bed so that she is lying in his arms when she tells of taking Lizzie for that last walk and then carrying her body back to the house. That night she gives Tyreese the pistol that she used to kill Lizzie and confesses to putting down a dying Karen and David. Her voice is too calm and he knows that she had told that story over and over to herself. Condemning herself over and over again.

Daryl doesn't know what to say. He holds her close and says over and over again, "I love you and I am sorry that you had to do that." He cries for her and his tears seem to fuel her own weeping. Carol sobs until she falls asleep and Daryl kisses her tear stained face and gives into his own weariness.

TWDTWDTWD

Daryl is gone when she wakes the next morning and she stumbles into the bathroom to take a shower. She wears the cargo pants and low hiking boots today but she adds dark rose top. She liked some of her new wardrobe and Daryl was right. Part of her wanted wear pretty clothes and smile at people. The sweater had different color of pink woven into it and it went well with her hair. Carol saw how vulnerable she looked, but she accepted that as part of her she really was.

Michonne is downstairs cleaning her weapons. She put down her chamois rag and stared at Carol. "Sleeping late and dressing in feminine clothes. What hath Daryl wrought in you? Was it that damn good?"

Carol recognized that Michonne was trying to be her friend. It would be good to have a friend like Michonne. Carol gave a whirl so that Michonne could see her sweater from all sides, "Not all of us can carry off that unisex constable outfit and still look good. I have a gorgeous red sweater that would fit you for when you go wild and let your inner fashionista come out."

"No time to be a diva today. Rosita and Tara are going to watch Judith. The menfolk are all out doing things that require heavy machinery. Don't expect Daryl to be back anytime soon. He and Aaron are out on some sort of scouting mission. You and I have been delegated to training the locals to find their inner warriors."

Michonne sounded so disgruntled that Carol grinned. "We'll do that later. I'm going to go grab something to eat and you are going to wear that sweater this morning. Time to check on my friends today and then after that we'll put on something unflattering and make killers out of our neighbors."

It was an Alexandria that Michonne had never seen. Carol's friends were mostly old people who didn't get out much. The Gray Panthers knew all about the threat to the town and acted as if they wanted to get involved. Carol warned them that the walls might be breached and wanted them to move into the community center. It had a large basement and those that were ambulatory would be moved there if something happened during the day and they would sleep there at night. The others would need to be transported and Carol made a list.

Michonne enjoyed the visits. Most of them were feisty and spirited and she could see why Carol liked them so much. The women liked their sweaters; the men flirted outrageously and everyone expressed their opinions freely.

Their last stop was the Thompsons. Jeremiah wasn't strong but he was clear headed. Karen was fragile and vague. Mr. Thompson had given Carol a bottle of whiskey on her last visit, "Have you enjoyed a drink yet?"

Carol shook her head, "Not yet. We've been busy."

"I bought that bottle when I retired from teaching. Karen had already retired and we had big plans on what we were going to do. We were going to build a house in the mountains and then drink a toast of that whiskey off the deck at sunset. We bought the property for the house but before the house was finished she began to fail. The house is finished and we lived there before she got sick again. She wasn't allowed any alcohol so we never drank the toast. The house is in the mountains of West Virginia and I have the directions marked on this map. I want you to have it. Someday you and your man can sit up there and drink that toast for us."

He handed her a map and an envelope of directions. "I need something from you. Karen can't go to that basement. She is very weak and confused lately. I want you to get me a pistol. I can't let them have her and I have no reason to stay here without her." Jeremiah wiped the drool from Karen's face carefully. Carol was worried about her; she was noticeably weaker than she had been two days ago. What would happen if she died of natural causes in a basement full of elderly people?

Carol sent Michonne a beseeching look and her friend answered, "You need to go to the community center. I'll make sure that you and Karen can stay in the office area. It will be quieter there. Do you know how to use a pistol?"

Jeremiah Thompson nodded, "I grew up in the mountains. I can handle a pistol."

Carol smiled at Karen, "I'll give her a sponge bath. Jeremiah, you take a break with Michonne."

Karen smiled at Carol, "You look pretty today, Miss Carol."

The old man led Michonne out to the porch. "Karen loves Carol. Says she has kind eyes and gentle hands. Barely knows her but she was the one to tell me that Carol should have our house."

Jeremiah sat down on one of the two rockers and turned his face up to the morning sun. "Karen has had a bad couple of days but she is a little stronger this morning. She doesn't have long left on this earth. Both of us have accepted that. I can't let her turn and I can't bear to think that she might be torn apart by the dead."

Michonne took his hand, "I'll get you a gun if you promise to go to the community center."

Jeremiah turned to Michonne, "I hope that you are with them when they drink the whiskey. Either with Rick or that new man who has kind eyes. We built a bigger house than we needed. Karen needed to be closer to doctors and the hospital so we came back to Northern Virginia. We were staying with Reg and Deanna when this went down. They brought us to Alexandria."

Later, Carol and Michonne walked back to their house to get ready for another afternoon of teaching fighting skills. Daryl was sitting on the porch steps when they got back. Michonne went on in the house. Carol sat down beside of Daryl. The sun was warm on her face and she closed her eyes and put her hand in Daryl's.

"I saw plenty of sign of the Wolves in the woods, but they aren't out there right now. I think they pushed themselves back but they are still coming." He inched closer to Carol. "You stay close to me when that happens. Can't lose you again."

She nodded, "It feels good in the sun this morning. _The bright day is done, and we are for the dark. _Shakespeare said that a long time ago. My version is different. The dark is done, and we are for the bright day. We'll get through this and we then we'll get a bright day."

Daryl nudged her shoulder, "You are my bright day. I ought to get up and go work on the walls."

Carol leaned against him, "Michonne and I are teaching this afternoon. Let's go upstairs for a while. Let's just have some bright day right now."

Daryl tensed beside her, "Is that what you want or you just want to give me what I want?"

Carol laughed and stood up, "Daryl, I want both of us to get what we want. I'm going upstairs. You can go work on the walls or you can go upstairs and have sex. Don't take all day making up your mind." She went in the house.

Michonne came out of the house and stood looking out over the town. "You be good to her or I'm cutting your balls off. Just saying." She started down the steps. "You got two hours and then Miss Carol better get her ass out there and help me."

Daryl was at the door by then, "Two hours of bright day. Not nearly enough time."

Carol had her clothes off and had donned a bathrobe by the time Daryl thundered up the steps. He slammed the door shut behind him and locked it, "Michonne says we have two hours." He kicked off his shoes and threw his shirt over his head. He stopped to look at her. "Don't take that off until I get rid of these pants."

Carol opened the blinds so that the room would be lit by the sun. Daryl had worked his pants off and he followed her to the window. "Tell me what you want". He kissed her lips and his hands undid her robe pushing it to the floor. He kissed his way down her body and they both settled on the floor. He pushed her legs apart.

He kissed the insides of her thighs, "I want you to say my name when you come. I want to be inside you when I come." Carol looked at the ceiling. One of the old ladies had given her a sun catcher she had hung it on the window and never thought about it again. The sun catcher was throwing a rainbow of colors onto the walls and ceiling of her bedroom. Daryl licked her clit and she bucked into that pleasurewanting more. He moved so that he could suck her nipples and his hand slid into her center and a lazy finger circled her clit and then she bucked again and he laughed against her breast. "Tell me what you want."

"I want to go down on me. Now." She had always wondered how that would feel. She had stroked herself into orgasms before, but she wanted everything now that she had never had before. Wanted pleasure and wanted to give pleasure freely. Wanted to know how it felt to make love to someone without holding anything back.

"Yes, Miss Carol. I can do that." He kissed his way back down, stopping to trace a stretch mark with his tongue and then his mouth settled back on her clit and this time he didn't tease. His tongue plundered and conquered and in the end she could only give way to the need to give herself completely to the pleasure and to call his name over and over.

Daryl was lying at her side when she sighed, "That was amazing."

He smirked, "I get that a lot."

"I want you inside of me." He had said to tell him what she wanted.

"Damn woman, always wanting something." Daryl pushed his boxers down and settled over her. "Don't blink, 'cause this ain't going to take all day."

It lasted long enough that she came with him. They rested on the floor watching the lights move on the ceiling as the breeze moved the sun catcher and cooled their bodies.

Daryl insisted on moving to the bed. Carol slipped on her robe and went downstairs and brought back some food. They ate the brownies but Carol was never sure the buzz she felt was anything but being naked with Daryl as they explored each other's bodies. Carol remembered that her grandfather used to say, "Don't leave anything on the table." He told her that it meant that you enjoyed whatever you had and you didn't waste it. If this was the only time that she would have with Daryl she didn't want to leave anything on the table.

Michonne shook her braids at Carol when she showed up. "You're forty five minutes late. Miss Carol. We've got work to do."

That evening Carol and Michonne cooked a big dinner for everyone. Judith cooing from her high chair and everyone fresh from their showers. Every bite was eaten and Morgan and Rick cleaned the kitchen while everyone relaxed on the porch and watched the sun set.

Rick had changed the watch schedule and he and Morgan were going to be on until midnight. Glenn and Nicholas were going to be in the tower from midnight until dawn. Weapons were being cleaned and loaded. Carol and Daryl walked to the community center and made certain that the elderly were there and comfortable. Michonne followed later with Judith who was the center of attention.

Jeremiah and Karen were in an office with an adjacent bathroom. Someone had moved a hospital bed in there and Karen was lying in bed. Jeremiah was sitting in a comfortable chair. Karen hardly roused and Carol thought that she might be slipping away. Michonne handed Jeremiah a revolver and a small box. "It has six shots in it and there is six more in this box."

Carol took Karen's hand and began to rub it gently, "It was a beautiful day, Karen. So bright and the leaves are so pretty this time of year."

Karen barely nodded, but her voice was strong enough so that everyone in the room could hear her. "We lost our little girl a long time ago. Leukemia. Been missing her so much lately but it won't be long now. I'm tired and she is waiting just on the other side. Now you go do what you have to do. I just want to be with Jeremiah now."

Jeremiah walked them to the door and hugged them goodbye, "The key is in the envelope that I gave you. We'll be alright here. You be careful tonight."

They walked back together. Judith cooing at the full moon that just coming up over the walls. Daryl and Aaron were going out beyond the walls tonight and Aaron was waiting for him on the front steps. Daryl kissed her goodbye, "We're not going far. We see anything then we will give the signal and head back for the gate."

Tara and Rosita were staying downstairs tonight with Judith. Aaron had helped Eric down the steps already. Maggie and Glenn were patrolling the inner walls. Spencer and Sasha were walking the same walls from another direction. Abraham and Eugene were guarding the power station. Rick was taking Carl with him to the tower. Carol and Michonne were on guard on the front porch.

The town lights were off tonight. The basement lights were blacked out. Carol looked at Jessie's house. It was dark and Jessie and Ron were on their front porch and she could see Sam sitting between them.

Michonne stood and stretched. Her katana reflected some of the moonlight as she moved it back and forth. Carol had locked the back door and Rick and Morgan had moved the table against it. The front windows had been covered with plywood. The safe room had been stocked with supplies. Eric and Tara would go there with Judith. Rosita would come up to fight if there was an attack.

The moon had risen to its zenith and Alexandria was bathed in its light when Carol saw Daryl and Aaron coming down the street. They were calling out to people as they came. "Get ready, the trucks are headed this way."

AN

I love that quote from Shakespeare and wanted to work it in.

How did you like "Interlude"? Review?


	6. Athena

Athena

_Athena (Greek) - Goddess of war and wisdom and domestic crafts. Athena's greatest strength was her ability to assess a situation and then develop winning_ strategies.

Aaron raced downstairs to check on Eric and Daryl moved closer to Carol. "We can't stay. They're coming in through the gates. The Wolves are inside reinforced trucks and the walkers are in trailers. They are coming fast. You need to get inside. We have to stick with the plan."

Aaron was back, "Let's go, Daryl."

Daryl touched her arm, "I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you, but please go inside. We got this." He and Aaron disappeared in the night.

Rosita walked out on the porch with her rifle. "Texans don't stay in the basement."

Michonne swung her katana around to loosen up and Carol checked her new pistol. She took the safety off and slapped the clip again to make sure it was seated. The extra clips were in her cargo pants. Her rifle was on the porch. She could hear the trucks and she guessed it wouldn't be long now.

Jessie and Ron were standing now holding rifles and Carol saw Sam go inside. Jessie, Ron, and Sam were supposed to be with Tobin and his family. Jessie had changed her mind this evening and insisted that she and Ron would defend their home. _She's manic this evening. Sam shouldn't be in that house. Jessie is going to get those boys killed._

There was a loud crashing sound and the sound of the trucks was louder now because they were inside the walls. Alexandria was silent. She could hear the sound of the trailers being opened and the muffled groans of the dead. A killer tsunami was rolling their way and Carol felt her whole body quake with terror. Michonne was gasping for air and Rosita was rocking back and forth. Carol moved to Michonne and took her hand. Michonne nodded. Rosita moved to Carol's side and for a few seconds they held onto each other. Then, as one they stepped away from each other so that they had room to fight.

Jessie suddenly bolted toward the tower and Carol saw Ron follow her. That left Sam alone in the house. Carol raced for the Anderson house. _Please, please let me be there in time._

The Anderson house was closer to the gates and the walkers were starting down their street. The door to the house was unlocked and she called as she went into the house, "Sam, come on. We must go now." _Let him be right here. We can make if he is._

The house was silent. He must be upstairs and she switched on the thin flashlight and bounded up the stairs. The first door was the master bedroom, the second had a skateboard and she had seen Ron with it, and that left door number three which had books.

Carol hurried to the closet, "Sam, open the door. It's Carol. I've come to take you somewhere safe." _At least I am going to try._

There was the rattle of the latch being lifted and he came out blinking in the light, "The monster is going to drag me out into the woods."

Carol grabbed his hand, "No, I'm not going to let it take you. Come on." There was no point to being quiet now. They flew down the stairs and she didn't bother to stop at the door to reconnoiter. She was going out anyway and they cleared the front porch and down the steps. The walkers were there to meet them but she had her pistol out and was able to get the two closest ones.

Michonne was standing on the sidewalk with her katana clearing a path for them. Carol took it and saw that Rosita was shooting into the herd. Sam stumbled and Carol jerked him up and she half dragged him up the steps. She opened the door and gave him the flashlight. "Go to the basement but yell for Tara so she will know who you are." She pushed him in the house and took out her rifle.

Michonne and Rosita had reformed their line on the top steps of their house and Carol joined them. The moon was bright enough so that they could see the walkers. The yard and sidewalk were covered with the finally dead, but they were running low on ammo. It was time to retreat to the house. Suddenly, there was a tremendous wave of sound that rocked off the metal walls of Alexandria. The catchy tones of KC and the Sunshine Band's "That's the Way I Like It" roared through the air and most of the walkers stopped and after a few moments they began to drift toward the music and by the time that Steppenwolf's, "Born to be Wild" began to blare there weren't any walkers in the yard,

Michonne and Rosita slipped off toward the gates using the back yards. Carol locked the door behind her and pushed the couch in front of it. The Wolves were still out there. She opened the door that went to the basement and locked it behind her. She called out quietly, "It's Carol" and Tara opened the door and enough lights spilled out that she could see her way to the safe room.

Judith was still asleep and Eric was sitting up in the chair with his broken ankle propped up on a box. Sam flew into her arms and she kissed the top of his sweaty hair. Tara looked tired, but clear headed. Carol drank some water. "I'm going to go back out in the basement. You lock the door and I'll call out when I need in. Don't open the door unless I say open sesame." There were bunks along the wall and enough food and water in the storage containers underneath the bunks for them to stay for days.

She grabbed one of the big flashlights, "Don't talk."

The door shutting behind her made her uneasy. Pitch black . The adrenaline was wearing off and the old self-doubts were creeping in. Carol took a position with a clear shot at the basement steps. The walls felt as if they were closing in and the memory of being trapped in that small cell at the prison came back to taunt her. Eric, Tara, Judith, and Sam were only a few feet away but she felt as alone as she had ever been. Alone to face the demons that never quite went away.

_You were too weak to go after Sophia. She's dead because you failed her over and over." _The chief of her demons was on her right side whispering what they both knew would hurt the most.

"_Daryl is never going to stay with you. He'll throw you out like Rick did. You should have left the group, but as usual you were weak and selfish." _Demons always took your happy times and ruined them._ "He was just horny. He'll find someone younger and you'll be old news."_

"_You are getting too close to Michonne. She doesn't know who you really are"._

"_I'll take Sam from you like I took Sophia. Just waiting until you admitted to yourself that you care about him. More fun that way."_

"_Those wolves will get past you and blow that door down. Then they'll go in and hack those people into pieces, but they'll keep you alive long enough so that you can watch it and know that you failed again."_

Carol closed her eyes and let the memory of her day wash over her. Laughing with Michonne as they walked around Alexandria. Making sure that her elderly friends were put somewhere safer tonight. Talking with Jeremiah Thompson and him giving her keys to some house. Being upstairs with Daryl as the rainbow colored lights danced on the ceiling as they made love. Eating dinner with the people that she loved and then walking around Alexandria as the moon came up over the walls. Running toward Sam and a herd of walkers because she wasn't weak. Fighting with Rosita and Michonne when she wanted to run because she needed to do her part. Sitting here in the dark facing her demons because her job was to protect the ones inside that little room. "_Go, fuck yourselves, demons. The Wolves aren't getting past_ _me_."

She checked her pistol and shoved in a new clip. She would have to move once she fired. The Wolves were experienced fighters and they probably had more big teeth to bite her with. Carol decided where her next position would be and the one after that.

Something was slamming into the front door upstairs and then she heard several pairs of footsteps going up the stairs to the bedrooms. That wouldn't take long. Soon they were going through the kitchen and pausing at the basement door. The first man went down the stairs tentatively. The second followed them cautiously. There was another man on the landing. _There were always going to be three bad wolves. Just like in the fairy tale._

Carol waited until the first man stepped onto the squeaky step that was the next to last step. She kicked on the bright flashlight and aimed four feet above the steps and shot six times as rapidly as she could. Clicking off the flashlight she darted to a new position. There was a barrage of bullets aimed in her general direction and she felt a jabbing pain in her left arm which she ignored. It was only a graze. _I can still shoot, no biggie._

One man was down for sure and the other might be it. Carol sent another round in their direction and knew from the meaty sound of bullet hitting flesh and the thud of a body falling down the stairs that another one bit the dust. She moved toward the bathroom. _Follow me, Wolf. I am the old granny and you don't worth to bother with Little Red Riding Hood._

The last man on the stairs let loose another volley of bullets. Her ears were ringing and how long could Tara keep Judith quiet? He swerved his flashlight searching for her. She smeared some of the blood from her arm and put it on the floor leading to the shower.

The bathroom had a shower stall with a curtain and there was a linen closet that faced the door. The linen closet didn't have shelves in it yet and she slipped in there and waited. _He was a wolf and she was wounded prey. He would come. _

Carol aimed the pistol at the door and waited. The shower had a curtain across it and she heard the squeak of the shower curtain being drawn open and Carol slammed the door open and shot him in the chest and then in the head. He didn't go down immediately but he couldn't seem to be able to raise his weapon in her direction. He dropped his flashlight and she pushed him into the shower. It was time to go check on the others. One was wandering around as a walker and she used her knife on him. The other man was still alive and she put her knife through his skull. She pushed their bodies off the stairs and went up the steps.

The front door was standing open and she could see a silhouette of a man standing there. She slunk back into the shadows. He called out, "Jeff, we need to leave. We're fucked. This was a trap."

Carol moved along the hallway that led to the living room. The man had turned to face the street. She inched closer and aimed at the back of his head. He turned back toward the house, "I'm leaving without you."

She shot him in the face and he went down immediately falling backward to the front porch. The door had been forced open and she waited in the shadows. The music had stopped some time ago and the street in front of the house was quiet.

No one else came toward the house and before long the power came back on. The refrigerator began to hum and Carol could see lights in the houses. The worst of the threats were over. Each house would be searched for walkers and wolves. Morgan and Rick's plan had worked.

Their plan was simple. Allow the walkers inside briefly, and then turn music on and drive them toward the deep trenches that had been dug outside the walls. A gate had been created so that the walkers could move out side of the walls. The wolves would follow the walkers in through the gates or over the walls. Teams were in place along the inside of the walls to kill the wolves. Another team was sent to capture the trucks trapping the wolves and walkers inside.

Michonne and Rosita came back first. They checked the upstairs rooms first and then the main floor for intruders. Then, the three women dragged the dead wolves outside and cleaned up the blood on the floor. Then, Carol gave the signal for Tara to open the safe room. Judith demanded Michonne and Sam latched himself on Carol. Rosita helped Tara upstairs.

Carol and Rosita moved Eric upstairs to the couch. Michonne took Judith upstairs. Abraham and Eugene came back and Abraham was able to fix the door enough so that they could shut it. Carol went into the kitchen to make coffee and Sam trailed along behind. He had asked about his mother and brother, but no one had seen them.

The coffee was almost finished when Daryl and Aaron came back. Daryl's stride moving purposely toward the kitchen. He leaned on the door, "You okay?"

"Gotta be." She smiled at him. "You okay?"

Daryl moved into the room. "I could use some coffee." He eyed the silent boy, "Sam I Am, you take care of Carol for me?"

Sam shook his head, "That's your job."

Daryl nodded. He came closer to Carol and hugged her to him, "You're right, taking care of Carol is my job."

She let herself cling to him for a few moments and then she pushed away gently. "Have some coffee. Sam, go tell the others that the coffee is ready."

She waited until Sam was out of the room, "What about his mother and brother?"

"Dead. Jessie was running toward the tower and the boy was trying to protect her. They were swarmed and Rick and Morgan shot into the herd to kill them." Daryl hugged her close again, "It was quick."

"I'll have to tell him soon before someone lets it slip." Carol rubbed her face against his chest. It did feel good to be held by someone who loves you.

"We'll tell him together, and we should take him upstairs to our room to do it. Nothing we can say can make it hurt less, but he needs to know that we'll take care of him."

Later the three of them went upstairs. Sam was exhausted but he had asked several times about his mother and brother and he was too smart not to know that something was wrong. Daryl sat down in the chair and Carol sat by Sam on the bed. "I'm sorry, Sam. Your mother and brother were killed tonight." Daryl's voice was soft.

Sam looked at Carol and she put her arm around him, "It's true. I am so sorry."

He cried until he went to sleep. Carol took his shoes off and let him sleep in their bed. She and Daryl went back downstairs. There was work to be done. The bodies of the walkers and wolves were being thrown in the trenches. There would be patrols running all night. The noise had attracted every walker in miles and the gates had to be reinforced.

Rick and Morgan brought Carl back and to give an update on the attack. Alexandria had stood its first test but there had been casualties. Alexandria was learning that every victory came with a price and eleven of their own had died tonight. Karen and Jeremiah Thompson were among the dead. Two wolves had gotten into the community center but Jeremiah had killed them before they had gone downstairs. He went out a hero, but Carol wondered what had killed Karen.

Carol went upstairs to check on Sam and to take a shower. She was surprised to find Daryl in their bedroom when she came out. He motioned to Sam, "How's he doing?"

"Hasn't woke up yet. What are you doing back?" Something was up and she had a feeling she wouldn't like it.

"Gonna take a shower and get some sleep. There were reports that some of the wolves went over the walls. We're going after them at daybreak." He rubbed his face, "I don't know how long I'll be gone."

Carol scooted onto the middle of the bed. Carl had bunk beds in his room and Sam could sleep in there but she didn't want him to wake up in a strange room. Daryl came back in a few minutes still damp from his shower. He slid in beside her and rubbed her shoulder, "How is the arm?"

"Just a scratch. Nine lives, remember?" Carol scooted closer, "You seem to find lots of reasons to stay away from me."

Daryl snorted, "You just wait until I get back. You'll be sick of me hanging around you like some hungry stray. Tired of leaving you." He was almost asleep and Carol murmured under her breath, "Wish you could stay."

AN

I threw Jessie under the bus, but she does give an odd vibe off.

Review?


	7. Morning

Morning

Daryl glanced at the bedroom window and knew by the faint traces of light that there would soon be enough light to track the wolves that had gotten away last night. It had to be him because none of the others could track as well as he could. Daryl slid out of bed and went into the bathroom trying not to wake Carol or Sam. Carol was dressed by the time he got back and he waited until she was finished in the bathroom so that they could go downstairs together.

Morgan and Rick were in the kitchen watching the coffee maker as if that would hasten the brewing process. Carol handed out protein bars and water purification tablets. Rick silently taking his share and Morgan thanking her. Rick looked rough this morning and Daryl and Carol exchanged that "Is Rick okay?" look.

"Rick, you should be here in Alexandria when the sun comes up making sure that the clean-up is done right. The outside world found its way inside Alexandria last night and everyone will be shook up. They need a leader this morning." Carol hesitated and then went on. "If you aren't here, then someone else will take charge. There are people here who resent how quickly our group has moved into power positions. You should be here." This morning the walkers were being cleared out of the trenches and moved to a burn site two miles away. The trenches were being deepened and widened to provide another layer of defense. The herd had damaged structures inside Alexandria and they needed to be fixed. This afternoon there would be funerals for those that were lost and Rick should be here for that too.

"Abe and Glenn will handle the walker removal this morning. Maggie is keeping Deanna informed of what is going on." Rick wasn't going to be dissuaded from this and Carol gave Daryl her best "I tried" look. She took her coffee and drifted to the front porch hoping that Daryl would follow her.

Their usually immaculate front porch was a mess from last night. There was blood and walker muck on the porch, front steps, and sidewalk and Carol set her coffee aside trying to control the need to vomit. The smell of death was here and she remembered the men she had killed last night. Daryl was behind her and he muttered, "I'll get it."

He went around the side of the house and brought back the garden hose and by that time she had gathered up some cleaning supplies and together they cleaned the porch, the steps and the sidewalk between their house and the Anderson's. Morgan had joined them in scrubbing the evidence of last night's attack away and Rick went on to meet Aaron.

Morgan washed his hands with the garden hose and left while she and Daryl were gathering the rags to be trashed. They washed their hands together using plenty of soap and water. Daryl muttered, "I should be helping you today."

Carol handed him a dry hand towel, "You're a good man, Daryl Dixon. I wish I could take you upstairs and show you how much I love you." She waited for him to say "Stop" or turn ten shades of red.

"Better be prepared to walk that talk when I get back." Daryl dried her hands with the towel. "I'm not good with words, but I more than love you." He shuffled his feet and she was sure that he was through talking. "You delight me." He bent and kissed her hands tenderly, "My sweetheart, you delight me. Be safe."

She kissed him back, "Daryl, you amaze me." Carol was always disarmed by these moments when Daryl revealed his heart to her. He could have tossed out a "love ya" but he had sought precision when he told her how he felt about her. "You delight me, too".

He snickered, "I am that good. Full throttle Dixon sex is damn impressive. You'll get used to it in twenty or thirty years." He pulled away from her and gave a slap on her bottom, "Now go inside and behave yourself until Big Poppa gets back.

Carol laughed, "I like me some Big Poppa". Tender Daryl had morphed into cocky Merle, but she understood that personas were part of who you were or who you wanted to be. She went inside up the steps and inside without looking back. They had never liked to say goodbye to one another.

**Daryl**

Daryl had picked up the track of the Wolves fairly easily. One of the wolves had been wounded and he had left spatters of blood on the ground here and there. Morgan had chosen to go on point and Daryl figured that anyone who could make it from Georgia to Virginia could be trusted not to let you walk into a trap.

Last night he and Aaron along with a few men from Alexandria had waited out here for the trucks to arrive. He and Aaron had spread the word that the attack was close and then doubled back. The walkers had been led toward Alexandria by one truck which had rammed its way through the gate. The Wolves had waited until the walkers had moved into Alexandria and then moved into position. Daryl had given the signal to disable the trucks along the road and to begin firing at the Wolves. That was the signal to turn the music to start the walkers toward the new back gate and deep trenches. Morgan's plan had worked except for a few glitches caused by a few of the locals who had deserted their posts at the sight of a walker herd.

Aaron was driving an old Land Rover today. Daryl and Morgan were going to be in the woods and Rick and Aaron were scouting along the roadway. They were using radios to communicate. Daryl was happy to be aired with Morgan. He knew how to keep quiet in the woods. The blood spatter trail stopped at an abandoned house. The house was empty. Daryl was ready to turn around and go back to Alexandria. The trail had gone cold. Rick wanted to go toward the warehouse that the Wolves had kept the walkers to see if they had headed back there. The other three went along reluctantly.

Daryl checked his weapons and tried to tamp down his uneasiness. The Wolves could be setting a trap for anyone following them. They had lost most of their pack, but they were still wolves. He didn't like being in a vehicle. The woods and fields were familiar friends; they warned him through his senses when danger was near. He could hear enemies coming toward him, smell walkers, and see a sudden flight of birds that gave him warning. He could feel a trap out there and in here he felt like the bait in a snare.

Despite his fears they arrived safely. Aaron parking a good distance away and they spread out to walk toward the warehouse leaving the radios in the Land Rover. Daryl could see a dusty Jeep parked at the front entrance. Rick tapped Daryl's shoulder, "Let's go check out the back."

Aaron nodded, "Morgan and I will stay here and make certain that our canine friends don't get away. Don't start anything that we can't finish. We can get reinforcements if we need them."

There were two summers worth of grass and brush to provide cover and Daryl and Rick moved toward the back of the warehouse by following an eight foot fence that slowly being covered with vines. The bays were open on this side of the warehouse. It looked empty and Daryl hoped that this would soon be over.

There was the sudden unwelcome sound of vehicles moving along the road toward the warehouse. At least two vehicles had stopped in front of the warehouse and more were coming their way. Daryl and Rick used a large dumpster for cover and moved to a position behind some thick bushes.

Three Humvees and a box truck parked by the chain locked gates. There were a dozen or so men standing outside the trucks and they were watching the back of the warehouse. One man approached the gate with a set of bolt cutters. Rifle fire came from the warehouse and they scrambled back into the trucks and backed up out of range.

Daryl could hear rifle fire from the front and he wondered if the wolves had taken flight. "Let's get out of here," he hissed at Rick. The army was going to take care of the Wolves for them. This party was getting too crowded. Just get the hell out of Dodge and back to Alexandria.

There was another round of rifle fire from the front and that seemed to stir half of the men in the trucks to move in that direction. Rick hissed, "They are distracted. Let's go."

Rick and Daryl headed back toward the front. An army truck was parked there and uniformed soldiers were setting up on the perimeter. It looked as if they were going to take the warehouse. Aaron and Morgan were not where they had left them, but Daryl figured that they had retreated to the Land Rover which they had hidden behind a copse of pine trees a half a mile away.

Daryl heard a noise behind him and he turned toward the sound. Two soldiers were aiming weapons at them and he felt a sharp sting and then everything went dark.

**Carol**

Carol went upstairs when she left Daryl. Judith was an early riser and Sam might be awake soon. Judith was contemplating her toes this morning and waiting patiently for someone to come in. Judith smiled at her while she changed her diaper. Alexandria was good for Judith and that in the end was what was important.

Carol carried Judith as she went into her bedroom. Sam was asleep, but stirred when Judith babbled at him. He looked small and defenseless and Carol felt that tug toward him that she still intended to ignore. She had saved him last night, but that worked out because Michonne and Rosita had risked themselves to clear a path for both of them.

Sam opened his blue eyes and smiled at her. Carol had never noticed how much he looked like Daryl. His eyes were nearly the same color and his dirty blond hair was sticking up like Daryl's when he woke up. Carol sat down on the bed beside him and resisted the urge to ruffle his hair. Sam sat up and scooted toward her. He buried his face into her shoulder and Judith patted his hair and cooed at him.

Michonne peeked her head in the door and watched silently for a few seconds and then came and took Judith from Carol. "I'm going to make breakfast." Her dark hand rested on Sam's back for a few seconds and Carol knew that her friend was thinking about Andre. Michonne's eyes were welling with tears when they met hers.

Sam stayed pressed against her until Michonne started downstairs. He pulled himself away then and rubbed the tears from his eyes. "Can she cook?"

Carol had to laugh, "Yes, she can cook, but you need to get dressed so I can get downstairs and help."

He favored her with a weak version of his cocky grin, "I gotta go pee. Then we'll save breakfast."

Michonne was staring at the kitchen cupboards when they got downstairs. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Carol and I will make breakfast. She promised me pancakes." Sam smirked at Carol who shook her head at him.

Carol hadn't promised pancakes. Sam was sneaky and willing to stretch the truth to get what he wanted. He might look like Daryl but he acted like her. "Maybe you could feed Judith some applesauce while we make the pancakes?"

Sam stirred the batter while Carol made some syrup out of brown sugar and some maple flavoring that the previous owners had left. It was better to keep him busy anyway because she could see that his lip was trembling a bit.

The pancakes were a hit with Sam and Judith. Carl came downstairs and finished off the rest. Carol thought about Rick telling her that Lori wanted to make pancakes on the weekend and how terrible they were. Carl might remember that but Judith would never know her mother. What a sad lot they were. Three motherless children and two childless mothers. Carl was holding Judith and talking to Sam. Carl had lost his mother but he had Rick and the rest of the family. Judith had a father that adored her and loving adults in her home. Surely Sam would have that love like that in his next home. Wouldn't he?

Tobin came by to take Sam back to his house. Sam had been staying there after Pete had been killed. The boy didn't want to go but Carol bustled him out of the house. Tobin lingering on the steps asked, "Could you go and get some clothes for him to wear for the graveside service? Father Gabriel is going to say a few words this afternoon and then we're burying all we lost last night."

Tobin was a decent man but Carol detected a faint hint of anger that so many had been lost. Michonne had stiffened beside her but she said nothing until Tobin had left, "You're right, they are children. We lost people last night but we still have Alexandria and we wiped out almost every invader. They have no conception of what lies outside these walls." She sighed, "Let's go get the clothes now."

Carl took Judith from Michonne, "Judy and I are gonna hang out. I got her."

The door to the Anderson house was unlocked and Carol wondered if it had been searched for wolves last night. Houses that were cleared were supposed to have a rag tied around the doorknob. This one didn't. Michonne unsheathed her katana and Carol took the safely off her pistol. Together they crept through the house.

The Anderson house was eerily similar to the home that Carol lived in before the Turn. Ed had a good job and Carol had renovated enough houses by then so that they were able to move into an upscale neighborhood. Carol noticed the dents in the dry wall that might have been put there by rowdy boys but were likely the results of some tantrum of Pete's. There were liquor bottles stashed everywhere and she could almost feel the sadness in the house. Sam had grown up in a house similar to Sophia's. What if she had been lost and Sophia left to survive without her? Who would have taken her in and loved her then?

The wolves had been here searching for their prey. All the hiding places had been searched and left with their doors open. The closet door upstairs were all open and Carol knew that Sam would have been found last night. They found a gym bag and filled it with enough clothes for a few days. Carol added a book that she found on Sam's bed. It had an owl bookmark in it so he must not have finished it.

The room depressed her. The bedspread had little bears and rainbow. It must have been the nursery and someone had painted unicorns on one wall. It was a room for a small child and didn't fit Sam at all. There were books piled on every surface and she could see imagine Sam reading books that took him to worlds far removed to his reality. Sam with a book wasn't living in a walled town surrounded by the walking dead and he wasn't living in a house with an abusive father who terrorized his family.

Michonne had been silent during the search, too silent even for her, "Carl's room could have bunk beds put in. Carl's wanting to move downstairs to the basement anyway. We have room for him. You have room for him."

_Damn, Michonne. Tell me how you really feel_. Carol was suddenly angry, mad enough to drop every persona but angry Carol. "You don't know what happened to Mika and Lizzie. Keep that boy away from me." She was crying now, crying mad now and losing control. "You don't know what I've done."

Michonne sat down on Sam's bed. "You tell me then and we'll both know."

Carol sat down beside her and buried her face in Michonne's shoulder as Sam had hers that morning. Gradually she was able to control her tears and her anger. She edged away from Michonne and told her about Karen and David and then what had happened at the Grove.

Michonne held her hand and never moved away. She kept silent as if she knew that Carol had to get it all out. Finally when Carol was out of tears and words, "I knew about Karen and David and I know you wouldn't have done that if they weren't in pain and in the final stages. I am damn sorry that you lost Mika. She was a doll baby. Judith is alive because you did the hard thing that had to be done. We're all alive because of you. I believe that God has kept us around for some reason. We've lost so much but we're still alive, still striving to survive, and still capable of finding love. We've both lost our children, but God keeps bringing children into our lives. I avoided Judith at the prison until one day Beth just plopped her into my lap and there she was all soft and sweet in my arms. I cried all over her. Next time was easier."

Alexandria was noisy this morning. Men and a few women were working to repair the gates or to move the walker/wolves to the burn site. Tobin and Abe were repairing walls and Glenn and Nicholas were overseeing moving the dead. Glenn was still wearing his arm in a sling. For the first time, Carol started to believe that these people were going to be able to survive in this world.

Carol visited her friends this morning. All but the Thompsons had survived and back in their own homes. Maggie was waiting on the steps of the last house. "Deanna wants to talk to us this morning."

Deanna's office was crowded with members of her family when Carol got there. Deanna was sitting at her desk and to her right was Aaron and Morgan. She looked around the room for Daryl and Rick but all she saw was blank faces. No Daryl leaning on a wall. No Rick tilting his head at Deanna.

Morgan began speaking, "Aaron and I stayed in front of the warehouse. Daryl and Rick went around the warehouse to check out the back. All at once a small army showed up. Dressed in fatigues and looking and acting like the good guys. Aaron and I moved back further into cover. There was gunfire from the other side of the warehouse.

More soldiers arrived in a Humvee and we retreated closer to our vehicle. We couldn't see much but it looked as if the army threw tear gas into the warehouse and flushed the Wolves out. There shot them with some sort of dart. We crept back and saw that Daryl and Rick were loaded into the box truck with the Wolves. Then, as suddenly as they arrived the army left. We ran back to our vehicle but they were gone and there were a dozen directions they could have gone. I'm sorry, but Daryl and Rick are gone and we don't know where."

AN

**Review?**


	8. Alone, All Alone

_Alone, all alone_

_Nobody, but nobody_

_Can make it out here alone_

Maya Angelou

**Alone, All Alone**

**Carol**

Carol felt Michonne hand grab hers and hold tight. In the first few weeks after the Turn Carol had thought that the army would come in and rescue everyone. Just like in the movies, only the cavalry had never shown up. Their family had made the long dangerous trek from Georgia to Virginia without seeing any sign of military activity. Alexandria had defended itself from the Wolves. Now, Morgan was telling them that the army had shown up and captured Daryl and Rick. _Fuck our luck_.

"Are you sure that it is our army?" Abe's voice sounded far away. Carol felt as if she was incapable of speech, couldn't seem to put the whirling swirl of thoughts and words into anything that made sense, and now even her hearing was all wrong. Morgan's words kept flowing like one of those fountains that loop the same water over and over again, "_I'm sorry, but Daryl and Rick are gone and we don't know where_."

Morgan's voice was sure, "They were wearing regular army fatigues, using army issue weapons, and army vehicles. They moved as if they had done this before. They weren't there to kill, but they made sure that they were in control of the situation. My guess is that they had scouted out the Wolves before and had come back to take the whole pack. Daryl and Rick were just in the wrong place and got snatched up."

"They'll let Dad and Daryl go won't they?" Carl's voice sounded more like the boy he had been than the young man he had become.

"It may take a while for them to figure out that Rick and Daryl aren't Wolves, but we just have be patient," Morgan put his arm around Carl and gave him a little hug. "We have walls to reinforce, supplies for winter to gather, and people to train. Daryl and Rick wouldn't expect us to sit around and wait for them to get these things done."

Everyone began to move toward the door and Carol automatically rose to go. Deanna's voice called her back, "Carol, would you mind staying here. I need to talk to you. Michonne, would you stay too." _"I'm sorry, but Daryl and Rick are gone and we don't know where."_

The two women took seats in front of Deanna's desk. She leaned forward with a sigh, "I know that you are both upset, but those two are survivors. They'll be back, but I need Michonne to take over the constable job by herself. Carol, I need you to develop a schedule for self-defense lessons. I think your days of making casseroles are over."

Carol found her voice, "I hope they are ready to be pushed." She didn't care one way or the other, but it was something to say. _"I'm sorry, but Daryl and Rick are gone and we don't know where."_

Deanna settled back in her chair, "Time to put the cards on the table. I handed the reins of power to Rick because I trusted him to take charge and that was the right call. Not everyone in Alexandria was happy about that. I am getting some kickback now. They didn't have the balls to say anything before the attack, but now there is a whispering campaign against me. I'm trying to hold on to this job until Rick gets back."

Michonne shifted in her chair, "What are they saying?"

"We lost people last night. No doctor in town now. They have questions about Rick's relationship with Jessica and how she died. Jeremiah and Mary Thompson. Basically, they resent your group taking positions of power. A lot of it is being fueled by Father Gabriel; he has been telling stories about your group's savagery." Deanna grimaced, "We have a few conservative Christians who believe that women should not be in a position of authority and they have been a thorn in my side all along."

Carol had been listening mostly because she needed something to take her mind off of Daryl and Rick. "Jessie came back with Ron and Sam after sunset. She said that she was going to defend her home and she wouldn't listen to us when we tried to convince her to go back to Tobin's house before the attack came. Daryl and Aaron ran to our house to tell us that the walkers were on their way. The plan was that we would go inside and keep anyone from coming in. Jessie sent Sam inside. Suddenly, Jessie ran down her steps and toward the tower. Ron followed her. We never saw them after that."

"You went after Sam." Deanna smiled at Carol, "Michonne and Sasha went to the sidewalk to clear a path for you and Sam. I talked to Sam today. He doesn't want to live with Tobin and his wife. He wants to live with your family."

Michonne's smooth voice answered quickly, "We'd love to have him with us. We need a set of bunk beds today. Sam can room with Carl until we get Carl's new bedroom finished. Sasha will take my room, and I'll stay in Rick's room with Judith until he gets back. We have room."

_Guess Michonne is now our new leader_. Carol felt a mixture of anger and relief. She was pissed that Michonne had made this decision on her own and relief that Sam would be with a group that would protect him. She decided to join the conversation before Michonne picked up any more strays. "There was no relationship between Jessie and Rick. I was pushing him to do something about Pete. I deceived you about my marriage; my husband was abusive in every way possible. Sam told me that Pete was abusing Jessie. I told Rick and he did his job." _I am tired of lying. Time to tell the truth_.

Deanna nodded, "Jeremiah and Mary were friends of mine. I talked to them yesterday afternoon. I agreed that they could stay in the office. He didn't tell me about the pistol."

Carol took over the narrative, "Mary was weak yesterday. Her pulse was thready and she was cold and clammy. She was slipping away and what if she turned downstairs with the rest of the elderly? Jeremiah wanted a gun. I understood why he wanted it and I gave him one." Carol didn't turn to look at Michonne who was giving her the side eye again. _Well, so much for telling the truth. Michonne gave Jeremiah the pistol but I'll take the blame on this one_.

"I enjoyed your interview. I thought your performance was a little over the top, but I see now it was Emmy worthy. Miss Carol, you are full of surprises. Maybe now you'll let us see who you really are?" Deanna stared at her until Carol reluctantly nodded. "Jeremiah asked me to write a will two days ago. Mary was there and she agreed to everything he said. They left you everything they owned including a good sized house and farm in the mountains. He had the deed with him and they signed it over to you then. It meant something to them to give it to you. Mary was the prepper in the family. She hoarded gold and silver and that belongs to you now. Right now it means nothing but in five years? Ten years? The army might be able to stabilize Virginia and we could start to rebuild civilization."

Carol remembered the fairly heavy envelope that Jeremiah had given to her. She hadn't taken the time to open it because too much was going on. Quick tears came to her eyes, "They were good people. I liked both of them."

"I loved both of them. Mary worked for some top secret government agency. She told me once that she couldn't tell me what she did or she would have to kill me and she wasn't joking. She said that she stayed in the job because she had enough power to block some bad things from happening. It was implied that lots of bad things happened that she couldn't stop. She looked like a sweet old lady but she was tough as nails. No wonder she liked you." Deanna sighed again. "Damn this world. I want to go upstairs and crawl into bed and never come out, but I can't. I'm like Mary, I have enough power to stop some bad things from happening."

Carol stood up, "I need to go. I have things I need to get done."

Michonne walked with her back to the house. "Why did you say you had given Jeremiah the gun?"

"I stole guns. I'm not sorry I did. It is crazy not to have a weapon handy. They banish you here. I can't see them understanding about what I have done. You need to be here for Judith. I can make it out there alone."

Michonne shook her head, "_Nobody, but nobody. Can make it out here alone_". I'm not going to let you go out there alone. None of us are. We just need to keep a low profile until Rick gets back. He won't let go of you either. We are all bonded by the things that we have seen and have done.

"Rick loves you. That thing with Jessie was just some sort of mirage. He's over it now. Mika would say that things worked out the way they were supposed to. You and Rick with Judith and Carl. That's meant to be." Carol held up the envelope, "Now I am a rich heiress so maybe my ship has finally come in."

"Daryl is your ship coming in. They'll be back soon. I just know it." Michonne sounded confident and Carol let herself hope that she was right. She could face whatever this world threw at her as long as Daryl was by her side.

**Daryl**

Daryl had woken up inside the moving truck. His hands and feet were tied together and a man wearing an army uniform bent over him with a syringe, "Buddy, it is nighty night time." Daryl tried to push him away but the man was too strong and the darkness enveloped him again.

It was dark when he woke up again. He was lying in a narrow bed and he had splitting headache. He was as thirsty as he had been that day out on the road when Carol had insisted that he drink some water. He was wearing some sort of loose pants and a dark t shirt. Daryl had never been in jail, at least not longer than overnight, but this felt like a jail cell. _Stop being a pussy, get your ass up, and get your ass back to Carol._

There was a window, set high on the wall and too narrow to be an escape route. It did bring a little light into the room and he could see that he had his own little bathroom. A tiny sink, commode, and the world's smallest shower. There was a light switch on the wall and Daryl noted that he looked like shit. He used the commode and washed his face and hands. There were two towels and one hand towel and a wash cloth. All a dull green and there was a toothbrush and tooth paste. A comb, soap, and shampoo. _Good to know that I'll be clean and well-groomed when I get the hell out of here._

He drank two glasses of water from a plastic glass and wandered back to other room. The bed and one chair. There was a small closet which had nothing in it.

He sat in his one chair and allowed himself to think about Carol. Did she know that he hadn't been killed? Morgan and Aaron might have been captured too. Rick must be somewhere close. She wouldn't give up on him and he wasn't giving up on finding a way out of here and back to her. She was safe, probably asleep in their bed right now. _Keep her safe and help me get home._

Carol would be sitting here scheming on how to get out. She would be paying attention to her surroundings and looking for a weakness that she could exploit. Daryl would have enjoyed a full scale tantrum complete with broken furniture and screamed curses. He might have tried to overpower the guards. Carol would be the model prisoner and sooner or later she would get out. Daryl went into the minute bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He practiced smiling. _Turn that frown upside down, and put on your smiley face._ Daryl was sure that he didn't have a smiley face, but by morning he would stop looking like he was having a seizure when he smiled_. When I get back to Alexandria me and Carol are gonna walk all over town holding hands and I am going to smile at every one of those assholes. Just cause I can. Just cause I am home. _

The hot water in the shower helped to loosen his muscles and soothe his headache. He was dressed and ready to go by the time he heard the sound of doors clanging open. Daryl sat down in his chair and tried to look non-threatening.

His door opened slowly and two bulky looking men in army fatigues stood in the corridor. Daryl stood up cautiously. The older of the two stepped closer to the door, "We're going to escort you to an appointment with a doctor. Please put your hands behind your back." Daryl contemplated fighting but he gave a weak smile and turned around. Within seconds he was handcuffed, wearing paper booties, and moving down a long hallway. Rick was behind one of these doors.

He was escorted upstairs to a large room that resembled a hospital emergency room. There were male and female soldiers milling around the cubicles. The patients were all handcuffed and a few were shackled. Daryl saw Rick sitting on one of the beds and he smiled at him. Rick gave him an odd look and then smiled back at him. _Rick is alive and together we can get out of here. No Morgan and Aaron in sight so maybe they got back to Alexandria to tell the others that they weren't dead. _

He was herded into his own cubicle and his handcuffs were exchanged to wrist cuffs that bound him to the bed. A stern looking man asked him his name, age, etc. His guards left and presently they returned with an African-American woman who smiled at him and Daryl smiled back.

"My name is Dr. Alston and I know that you must be frightened, but the tests that we are running are to check to see if you are healthy and to see what we need to do to make you healthier. I'm going to draw some blood now and then I am going to do a complete physical." She efficiently drew three tubes of blood, took his blood pressure, temperature, and pulse. She examined his hair, nose, mouth, ears, and listened to his chest.

Her hands were gentle on his back. She didn't say anything. Daryl forced out, "My father, when I was a kid". _I'm going to tell it from now on_. _I have no reason to be ashamed of what he did. _

The rest of the exam was more embarrassing. Carol had left a small hickey on his chest and he saw Dr. Alston's slight grin when she saw it. Things just got worse from there. He was asked to stand up and Daryl hopped off the bed gratefully thinking that it was over. Dr. Alston slapped on a pair of latex gloves, grabbed his balls, and asked him to cough. She was relentlessly thorough in her examination.

She laughed when she was through. "Mr. Dixon, I'm glad that I am not taking your blood pressure now. You can calm down because I think you are healthy and pose no medical threat at this time."

Daryl found it almost easy to smile at her, "Go ahead and call me Daryl. Mr. Dixon seems a little formal after you have had your way with me."

She lowered her voice, "Secrets aren't always a bad thing. You and the other man don't belong here. Don't feel as if you need to share where your people are. Keep your secrets." She raised her voice, "Daryl, you are going back to your room and we'll send you breakfast. We'll have the results of the tests in a few hours."

His guards were less cautious with him going back. This smiling thing might work. "Can I have something to read?" Daryl figured a man who smiled and wanted something to read would be even less of a threat.

One of the guards grunted something at him that sounded like he might bring something. His home away from home looked the same and he put the chair to the window and stood on it. He was on some sort of military facility. Strong fences and guards patrolling with dogs. Wooded hills beyond the fences. Daryl jumped off the chair and settled on the bed.

Breakfast was passed through to him by an opening at the bottom of the door. There was a book in the tray which he ignored because he was hungry. Dried eggs, canned bacon, and toast and all washed down with dried milk. It tasted as bad as it sounded but he ate it all and drank the milk. He hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday and he needed to eat to keep his strength up. Closing his eyes he envisioned being outside and running for the fences. He could be up and over in no time and then he would be in that forest.

He needed clothes, boots, and a weapon before he left. He could find his way back to Alexandria if he had those three things. Now he needed to connect with Rick because he knew he could never make it out of here without him.

The book sort of taunted him. He had never been much of a reader. Merle read when he was sober which wasn't very often. Finally, Daryl picked the book up. "_The Dog Stars_". He made himself comfortable on his narrow bed and opened the book.

Later, lunch was slid under and he got up and slid the breakfast tray back. He went back to the book. Reading slowly wasn't a problem. He didn't have anything else to do anyway.

Daryl found a new position on his bed and settled back to read another chapter. The door opened slowly and his guards were standing there. "Rise and shine, Dixon. Time to meet the Colonel."

Daryl put on his booties and turned so that he could be handcuffed. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The Colonel seemed to be in charge around here. He smiled at his two guards and they led him down the long corridor, up the stairs, and past armed men waiting on either side of an impressive door. One of the guards knocked and a woman's voice answer, "Bring Dixon in."

AN

**The course of true love doesn't run smooth does it? Is this smiley Daryl believable? I so long for Carol to have Michonne for a friend and since there is some rule on TWD that women aren't allowed to talk to Carol very often. I guess I'll just write what I like.**

Review?


	9. Survival

_Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception_.

Carl Sagan

**Survival**

Daryl was ushered into a large office. Rick was already seated and there was a guard standing behind him. The woman behind the desk was fortyish, attractive, but there was something about her that warned him that she didn't play games. Rick was looking sincere and giving her some eye fucks with his big blues.

Colonel Meitner motioned him to a chair that he saw was bolted to the floor and his handcuffs were removed and he was given a more comfortable wrist cuff. Rick had the same arrangement. The Colonel dismissed the guards and she waited until the door was shut before she spoke, "Let's not waste each other's time. You were picked up yesterday during a mission. One of our scouting parties had followed vermin back to their nest three days ago and yesterday a large contingent of soldiers went out to clear them out. There were only a few unimaginatively named Wolves lurking in their den and you two. So where are the Wolves?"

Rick favored her another round of his ingenious blue eyes, "The Wolves attacked our compound outside Richmond while we were on a run. They killed everyone. We tracked them into northern Virginia. We just got to the warehouse when the soldiers showed up." _Damn good lie, Rick. Carol will be impressed. Little worried that you were going to go bat shit crazy, but you held it together._

Colonel Meitner gave a ladylike snort, "Rick, don't give up your day job. Your story sounds perfectly logical, but you showed no emotion. I don't believe that your group was hacked up by the Wolves. So I am going to open door number two. Daryl, where are the Wolves?"

Dr. Alston had warned him to keep his secrets, and Daryl never wanted to reveal Alexandria. "The Wolves attacked our compound outside Richmond but we managed to hold them off. We killed most of them and Rick and I tracked them to their warehouse. We were trying to figure out how many were in there when the army grabbed us." _Closer to the truth, but doesn't give Alexandria away._

"Sounds more plausible. How did you take out the Wolves?" Colonel Meitner had picked up a pen and was writing something on paper. She held up the sheet of paper so that they both could see what she had written, "Bugs in office. Trust no one."

"We led them into a trap. They are dead except for however many were inside the warehouse. What is this place?" Rick was using his not crazy leader voice.

"I am under no obligation to discuss our mission with you, but I will anyway. Technically we aren't the American army at all. Our mission was and is still to try to keep humans from becoming extinct. Our targets were any chemical factories, nuclear power plants, hazard waste material sites ect. We were trained to clear the sites so that they wouldn't be dangerous to what was left of humanity. Society collapsed after the Turn so our mission now has been to locate and take out those that prey on other humans. DeadHeads too, of course, but they won't last forever." Meitner stopped abruptly and Daryl figured that she had some secrets she had to keep too.

Rick frowned, "What happens to those that you capture?" _Good question, Rick._

"They never hurt anyone again. That's all I am going to say." Colonel Meitner gave a wry smile and Daryl decided that he liked her. She was like Carol. _You don't have to like what I do, you just have to accept it._

"What about me and Rick?" _Because I like you, but I love her and I want to go home._

"I have to hand you over to the other half of our mission. The science side. They will decide if you are good candidates for clinical trials. If you are, then you will be part of the resurgence of our species. They're testing a new treatment for this virus and they need more test subjects. You two look healthy enough. Good luck." _Fuck my luck. Clinical trials? Shit, we're lab rats. She didn't ask for directions to our Richmond compound. Meitner doesn't have the power to save us, but she won't go after our people. _

"I'm in charge of the prisoners and I am moving you two to the dormitory and away from the criminal element. I will check on you from time to time." She had been writing again and before she called the guards back in she held up another sign, "We have a cure. Just finishing up the trials". _Guess the glass is half full. Just hope that it isn't filled with poison._

Later that day, Daryl and Rick were moved to a much larger room with four beds and a bathroom. Daryl had gathered up his book and his toiletries in the pillowcase. The high window in the room faced another direction but the sentries and the forest looked the same. The door was locked but the chance for escape was better here.

Rick was pacing and scheming. Daryl decided to read his book. Hig was in deep shit and haunted by memories of his dead wife. Hig was a pilot and Daryl had always wanted to fly a plane. Not the big jets but a little plane like Hig. He imagined flying along the ocean and turning back to shore into the sunset. Carol beside him and just floating along toward home with the sun in their faces. _Gonna make that happen._ _Never allowed myself to do what I wanted to do. Always thought riding my bike was as close as I was gonna get to flying._

"You ever been in a small plane?" Rick looked startled but smiled, "No, but Lori and I went parasailing on our honeymoon. They took us out in a boat in the ocean and they revved up the boat and we lifted into the air. Lori screamed her head off but she loved it. I don't know why we never did it again_." Because you never let yourself do what you wanted to do. Like me. You waited too long to forgive Lori and now it's too late. Not too late for me and Carol._

Daryl goes back to his book. Hig has found a woman survivor and is flying with her. Daryl imagines Carol beside him wearing a leather jacket like Kelly McGinnis wore in Top Gun. She's wearing a light blue shirt that has the top three buttons unbuttoned underneath the jacket so when he glances over he sees lots of cleavage. She is giving him that flirty look that lets him know that she is ready to go to the naughty corner. She puts her hand on his thigh and finger walks up to the zipper on his pants, "Does this plane have an automatic pilot? Because I think I want to sit on the pilot's lap or maybe I'll just give you a blow job," Daryl wrenched his mind out of the sky or the gutter_. Ain't going to make being away from her any easier by thinking about that. Man up and wait until you get in the shower tonight. Might as well imagine that you do have an automatic pilot and that she isn't wearing a bra under that blue shirt. Bad Daryl._

"Is that a good book? It seems to hold your interest," Rick commented.

"It's really good. It's one of those end of the world books that we used to think was just bull shit." _The book is good, but not quite as good as Carol in the leather jacket with nothing on underneath it_.

TWDTWDTWD

The next day they met with the man in charge of the science department. He was brusque and to the point, "We have a cure but we need to run clinical trials. You were captured with murderers. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but you are going to be part of these trials. Apparently your group wiped out the Wolves and your good deed won't go unpunished. You two are taking their place."

Daryl figured this guy was all about the cold hard science. They had a supposed cure and now they had to try it out. He and Rick had been treated well enough here. The end was going to justify the means. He was a lab rat now. Might as well accept it and try to make a better deal, "We want to go home after we do our part. We want to take some of the cure with us."

Dr. Koch favored him with a not very convincing smile, "You are in no position to make demands, but Colonel Meitner assures me that you two are part of the good guys. If this works I'll let you go and you can take the cure with you. Every person that we can cure adds to the probability that humanity can survive on Earth."

"Is the cure some sort of anti-viral?" Rick shifted in his seat, "Is it safe for babies and children?"

"We have a tested it on a toddler. One of our doctors here had a two year boy that was in a coma after a fall. It was an accident but the boy suffered major brain trauma and he was being kept alive by machines. The parents agreed to let us give the child the cure. Garin had tested positive for the virus at birth and he was retested when he was admitted to the hospital. He had the virus. We gave him a weak dose and he ran a fever, but two days later he tested clean. His parents let him go after that. That was one child and we don't know if that means it is safe for every baby or child. Parents will have to make that decision." Dr. Koch sighed. "The vaccine works in this way. We took the virus and rewrote its code so that it infects you with a weaker strain of the original virus and you will run a low grade fever. It also encourages your body to fight this invader with its own antibodies. Those antibodies kill both strains of the virus. It's complicated but it works. We believe that women who become pregnant after they have been given the vaccine will pass on a natural immunity."

Mothers could give birth to children who were naturally immune. Carol was still haunted not just by Sophia's death which brought a lifetime of sorrow with it, but also by seeing her as a walker lurching her way toward them with the intent to devour everyone in her path. Carol might have been bitten that day if he had not grabbed her and held tight. Rick had put Sophia down in front of Carol. Seeing Sophia as a walker had a profound effect on all of them. Andrea had asked for a pistol as she was dying so that she wouldn't come back. Daryl was more afraid of becoming a walker like Merle than dying.

"When do we start?" The sooner this started the sooner he could go home.

"We are making a large batch of the vaccine but it will take another three weeks before it will be ready. If it works then we want enough to inoculate a large group. The process takes months and we'll start immediately to make more. We'll also send the vaccine to other facilities around the country and into Canada. Eventually it will go worldwide. In the meantime, you two can be useful. We'll give you jobs, give you clothes, and you'll eat in the cafeteria. Some parts of the facility will be off limits, but you will have access to the gym, the library, and the recreation room." Dr. Koch rose signaling that their interview was over.

Their guards were waiting outside to take off the cuffs and escort them to the clothing department. The cheerful woman who worked there made sure that they had everything they needed. Daryl and Rick were assigned to work on the farm which consisted of greenhouses, vegetable gardens, chicken coops, rabbit hutches, and herds of goats. There were also large fish tanks inside a large steel building.

Rick hated the dirt and muck of farming, but Daryl was so happy to be outside that he wasn't going to complain. He still longed to escape but there were always armed guards patrolling and the hope that they could return home with a cure.

They ate dinner in the large cafeteria. Mostly vegetables but a little chicken was mixed in. People wandered by and thanked them for their service. Dr. Alston came in with Colonel Meitner and they sat down with them asking to be called by their first names.

"How did you know that we weren't part of the Wolves?" Daryl had been curious about that from the beginning.

Christine Alston smiled at him, "Both of you had short hair. You were wearing reasonably clean clothes. You fingernails were clean. You both had shaved and showered recently. Rick had a distinct smell of baby powder and you had a faint odor of some sort of fruity shampoo. That adds up to two men living in a settled community in the company of women. The Wolves smelled like the wild beasts that they are. I was the attending physician when that evening."

Elise Meitner agreed, "Christine asked that we move you two away from the Wolves. They woke up and tore their cells apart. Your rooms were not damaged. I should have pushed you to reveal your settlement so that I could add it to our list, but I figured if your group could take out the Wolves you must be strong enough to make it on your own."

"Are there other settlements?" Rick asked.

"The army evacuated most of northern Virginia and put them into large camps. That was a cluster fuck as you could imagine, but some survived and are living in settlements guarded by soldiers. There are other groups that avoided evacuation and keep to themselves. We know where some of them are and will take the vaccine to them when it's finished. Virginia and West Virginia have most of their settlements in the piedmont or in the mountains. All away from cities and with enough farmland to have subsistence farming. They have built defenses against the deadies but the biggest threat is from other humans." Elise Meitner moved her food around aimlessly. "That's the shittiest part of this world. So few left and they devour each other."

Daryl noticed that an African-American man who had headed toward them with a noticeable limp. "So who are these two guys trying to bogart my women?"

"Sit down, Jesse and meet Daryl Dixon and Rick Grimes." Christie introduced them to Jesse Graham. He worked in the library, but he looked more like a soldier than a librarian. Jesse was funny guy and Daryl found that his new smile seemed more natural after a few Jesse stories. Even Rick and Elise eased up a bit after Jesse talked about the dangers of being a librarian, "Paper cuts and dust. More deadly than a swarm of Deadheads."

Jesse offered to take them on a tour of the library. Rick looked surprised when Daryl agreed. He was going to finish "The Dog Star" this evening and he wanted to find another book.

There wasn't a trace of dust in the library, and there were thousands of books. Daryl didn't have a clue where to start. "Got any books on airplanes?"

Jesse looked startled, "Sure do, follow me."

Daryl found two books about small aircraft and a novel that Jesse recommended about a boy who crash landed a small plane in the Canadian wilderness. Rick grabbed a book about Vietnam and he remembered Rick telling him that his dad had served over there.

Daryl took his book outside. There were benches along the pathways and he settled on one and read. It ended on a positive note and he walked around the grounds enjoying the fading sun. _I've met some go_

_od people today, but both Christine and Elise are worried about something. Rick and I are gonna have to keep our eyes and ears open, but we can survive this and take the cure with us when we go back to Alexandria. I'll be home soon, Carol._

_AN_

_**Daryl and Rick as lab rats?**_

_**How about a review?**_


	10. Finding Reasons

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.

Friedrich Nietzsche

**Finding Reasons**

Michonne was worried about Carol. Daryl and Rick had disappeared eight days ago and Carol had barely been out of the house since then except for self-defense classes and an occasional visit to her older friends. Carol had finished in the basement. The drywall was up, mudded, sanded, and now painted. Abraham and Morgan had laid the flooring and Carl had moved downstairs. Carl's old room was Sam's and Carol had painted it and added bookshelves. Carol was always engaged in something useful, but the spark was gone.

Carol was just too damn good. Michonne was afraid that Carol was truly going to turn into the happy homemaker that she had pretended to be before. It was great to have hot meals and clean clothes. The house was immaculate but she'd rather have the woman who blew up Terminus around. That woman had a snarky sense of humor and was bluntly perceptive.

Michonne had talked this over with Morgan who gently reminded her that work was Carol's therapy. Carol wasn't going to just sit there and brood about Daryl and Rick being gone. They both knew that she cried in her bedroom every night.

Michonne shook her braids at him, "She needs a diversion. A change of scenery. She needs a road trip and I know where she needs to go."

Morgan smiled at her, "I think you need the road trip too. Now where do you want to go? Aaron and I have been back to the warehouse and there is no sign of them."

"The Thompsons left a will giving Carol a house in mountains. Let's take Carol there to look at it. It's a little over a hundred miles from here." Michonne had asked Deanna about the place and together they had mapped a quick route.

Deanna had expressed her desire to see the place again but she didn't dare leave Alexandria right now. "I'm afraid that I would come back to find somebody else in charge."

Aaron was familiar with the area, "Eric and I went there last fall. There was a small farming settlement there. Half of them were Mennonites that had lived in that valley forever and the others had drifted in there after the Turn and become farmers. They were all working hard to get ready for winter. No one was willing to leave Salem Valley to come to Alexandria."

"They were a functional group. The Mennonites knew how to farm and a few of the newcomers had been soldiers and knew how to fight. They worked together to camouflage the turnoff to the valley and built fences and road blocks. I hope they made it." Aaron was suddenly worried that the Wolves might have found Salem Valley. He turned to Morgan and Michonne, "Let's go tomorrow."

The only person who seemed to think this was a bad idea was Carol. She was too listless to fight them off and half-heartedly agreed. Sam had wanted to go but the four adults shut that down. He sulked and went into his room slamming the door. Rosita and Tara agreed to help Sasha with Judith. Carl pretended to be miffed about being left out, but he liked being the man of the house too.

Carol made a list of things to take and Michonne saw a glimmer of the old Carol. At least she stopped scouring the oven long enough to write a few things down. Sam seemed resigned and helped Carol gather things that they might need. The Land Rover seemed like a good choice and Sam dutifully toted things to the vehicle and packed them in. He even added more blankets than they could possible need heaping them high in the cargo area.

Sam followed Carol like a shadow all evening and he hugged and kissed her before he went to bed. They were leaving early the next morning. Carol hugged him back, "You be good now. Don't be up to any schemes while I'm gone." There was a trace of the old Carol when she said, "At least not without me."

"It wouldn't be any fun without you. Don't worry about me. I'll be safe because I'll stay close to those who protects me." Sam hugged and kissed Morgan and Michonne and then went upstairs.

They left early the next morning. Carol hadn't slept much and she was up even earlier than she needed to be. She dressed, grabbed her run bag, and then checked on Sam and Judith. Both were snug in their beds and she felt a distinct pang on leaving them.

Michonne was already up and on her way downstairs to check on Carl. Rosita and Tara stumbled in half asleep. Sasha had just finished watch and for a little bit the house was noisy. Aaron came in laughing about the cargo area being filled with provisions. "We're only staying overnight."

Carol had been busy making coffee and packing their breakfast. "Sam kept adding blankets. He thinks the mountains are going to be cold at night." She debated about going upstairs and checking on him again. She decided against it. He might wake up and be upset all over again.

Aaron waved to Eric as they passed their house, "I love him with all my heart, but it is good to be back on the road. His hovering is driving me crazy."

Carol hadn't been out of Alexandria since the day she had met Daryl and Rick to hand out guns. It did feel good to see trees and hills and not just walls surrounding you. They drank coffee and ate muffins. She was a little worried at how relaxed she was with Aaron and Morgan.

The time passed quickly and Aaron knew all sorts of historical facts about this part of Virginia and he seemed to enjoy his role as travel guide. His route was through Virginia farmland and there were only a few walkers out on the road this morning. It was a good day for a road trip. The hills were starting to look more like mountains when they crossed the border into West Virginia. Not long after that Aaron took a turnoff and drove a few miles along a sparkling river. "We're getting close". He pulled off the road and carefully drove the Land Rover down into a creek bed that flowed into the river. Aaron drove upstream for a hundred yards or so. There was a gravel road exiting the creek bed and then they were back on a paved road. Aaron drove another mile or so before he turned the vehicle so that it was turned to go back the way it came, "Michonne, take the wheel. Keep an eye out. If I don't come back in thirty minutes; leave and if you see or hear that spooks you. Get out of here."

There was a rustle of movement behind Carol and she instinctively brought her knife up. Sam was sitting in the cargo area blinking in the light. The fear that she might have stabbed him before she recognized him made her voiced come out meaner than she intended, "What in the hell are you doing here? I almost killed you."

Sam grinned at her weakly, "I told you that I would stick close to the ones that protect me. That's you, Michonne, and Morgan."

Carol hissed through gritted teeth, "You will be twenty one before you get out of the house again."

Aaron hid his grin, "Little man, get up in the seat and buckle your seatbelt." He disappeared along the roadway. Morgan and Carol got of the vehicle and stood on either side of the narrow road watching and listening for danger.

Aaron came back about twenty minutes later. "Good news. The settlement is still there and they remember me. I showed them your deed and the will and they are going to let us in. They are good people."

Carol and Michonne exchanged looks. They knew better than to drive blindly into a compound, but Aaron was a good judge of people. Carol checked her weapons. Sam was smart enough to stay quiet.

The roadblock was a large trailer and it had been driven out of the road far enough for Aaron to squeeze the Land Rover through.

A smiling man waved them through, "Welcome, to Salem Valley."

"We're going to stop at the Jacob Miller's house. He is the leader of this community and we'll talk to him and his wife before we go toward the house." Aaron had opened the window, "The smell of manure in the morning. This isn't Alexandria."

The houses and barns were neatly kept. There were children outside working with adults and everyone turned and waved. Sam had stretched himself over Carol to see the animals: cows, horses, pigs, chickens, goats, rabbits, and dogs were in pens and pastures.

Aaron parked the car in front of a white farmhouse. "This is Jacob and Esther's house. Let's go"

An elderly bearded man came out of the red barn toward them. He was smiling at Aaron, "So Sojourner you have returned." The two men shook hands and Aaron introduced them. Carol noticed that there was a large dinner bell by the front steps to the house.

Esther met them on the porch, modestly dressed and wearing a little cap on her head. Plump and sweetly welcoming Esther hugged everyone. "Come in, come in. Have a little something to eat and drink." She led them toward the dining room. "Maybe you men could sit down and Carol and Michonne could help me?"

The kitchen had a gas stove and a refrigerator. "The stove and refrigerator runs off gas. We have solar panels for light. There is a spring house out back too."

Esther was sad to hear about Karen and Jeremiah passing. "Good people. The farm has been in Jeremiah's family for more than a hundred years. They only had that one girl and she's been gone for a long time. They used to stay in the Jeremiah's home place when they visited but they built that new house a few years ago. Never got to spend much time there. The farmland is being used and Shawn and Jada live in the farmhouse.

Jacob and Jeremiah grew up together in this valley. Jacob wouldn't let any newcomers have the house. He said Jeremiah would come back someday. I guess he did in a way. It was his house and farm to give and he gave it to you."

Together they assembled a quick "bite" to eat. Thick ham sandwiches and potato salad and a homemade berry cobbler. Jacob said a quick blessing over the food and everyone dug in. Carol was embarrassed by how much she ate but everyone laughed at Sam's appetite. The scoundrel had missed breakfast. He was squirming with excitement by the time dessert was over, "May I go see the animals?"

Jacob smiled at him, "Why don't we go visit the animals on your farm. Shawn's dog just had puppies. Your mother wants to see her house."

Carol felt herself flinch at the words "Your mother" but she didn't say anything. Salem Valley still felt unreal, but she had seen that the first floor windows in every house were reinforced someway. Jacob had weapons in his house. The back door to the house was made of steel and the kitchen and dining room windows were barred. Survival in Salem Valley was a struggle, but they had made it so far.

Jacob and Esther led the way up the hill in their battered old truck. The steep road was graveled and they were able to make it easily. The farm was on top of the hill. A young African-American man and woman were working on a piece of farming equipment in a field. Jacob made the introductions. Shawn and Jada Davis had been graduate students at Virginia Tech before the Turn. Jada had been in Veterinary School and Shawn was finishing his master's degree in electrical engineering.

Sam wanted to see the animals and Shawn laughed, "I'll take Sam to the barn."

Jada finished with, "I'll take Carol and Michonne to see their house."

Morgan caught Carol's eye, "Aaron and I will go with him."

Carol held up the keys that had been in the envelope that Jeremiah had given her. The three women followed a grassed over lane that led to the tree line and then toward a large log cabin. The square-notched logs set so tightly that there was no need for chinking. There was a steel building behind the house.

It took a minute to find the right key but the back door opened easily to a large kitchen with stone counters and a soapstone sink. There was a gas range and gas refrigerator. Jada explained, "Both houses have free gas because there is a gas well on it. Almost every house in this valley has free gas. There is probably a gas water heater too. Everything is shut off but Shawn can turn it on.

Mary Thompson had designed a comfortable house. The kitchen area opened onto a dining area and the living room which had a stone fireplace and a view of the mountains and valleys. There was a dining room table and chairs. The couches and chairs in the great room were simple but well made. The large deck was made of composite materials, expensive but long lasting and Carol saw that supports were made of steel.

Jeremiah had said that he and Karen were going to drink a toast to the evening sunset from here and Carol struggled to control her emotions. Daryl should be here beside her. This house was Daryl. He would love it. Daryl would try to hide how much he liked it. He would call if a rich man's idea of a cabin, but she could him sitting by the fire working on his bow. He belonged in a place like this and not Alexandria with its houses pushed up together and the forest kept outside.

Michonne and Jada moved back inside and Carol gripped the railing and prayed that Daryl was safe and would find his way back to the people that loved him. Every day that Daryl was gone was weakening her faith that he was alive and would return.

"Come on, there's more to see." Michonne announced and Carol knew that Michonne was trying to distract her from worrying about Daryl.

There was a large bedroom on the main floor. Carol saw the bars on the windows and wondered again about Mary Thompson. She built her retirement house like a fortress. The room had a queen sized bed and there was a nice sized bathroom with it. The bed was unmade but there was a cedar chest filled with patchwork quilts.

Upstairs were three bedrooms and two baths. That seemed like a lot for a retired couple with no children, but Deanna and her family might have been regular visitors. This place would have been only a couple of hours away from the city before the Turn.

The linen closet was stocked, but the closets were empty except for a few winter coats. The pantry had canned goods and not much else.

The basement held the secrets. There was a steel door that was accessed by a combination lock. Jeremiah had thoughtfully written the numbers down. Carol was startled to see that the numbers were almost matched her own birthdate. Their daughter had been born a month before Carol.

Downstairs there were gun safes and prepper supplies. The room had been designed to survive almost anything and had a bathroom and lights that worked. There were MREs and dehydrated food. Mary had tried to prepare for every eventuality but there is no plan that can circumvent old age. Carol went back upstairs and locked the door behind her.

Jada and Michonne were moving chairs around the deck. Carol sat on the leather living room couch and thought of all the places that she had sheltered in since her parents had been killed while she was in college. All those houses she had lived with Ed. The tents at the quarry and the farm. The CDC. Those easily forgotten places while they were on the road before and after the prison. The prison. The only thing that all those places had in common was that they didn't belong to her. She had never had any home that belonged to her. No house that she had lived with Ed had been her home. It belonged to Ed. It didn't matter that there were a million empty houses now. This one had her name on a deed. Jeremiah and Mary had given it to her. This was Carol's house and she wished that Daryl was here. He would understand because he had never had a real home either.

It was just another empty house. A nice empty house. It wasn't home because Daryl didn't live here. Maybe in a few years things would get better and they could spend some time here in their house. Their house sounded better than Carol's house.

Carol went out onto the deck. Jada and Michonne had found three chairs and they sat for a bit chatting. Jada and Shawn had been together since high school and had just been married that summer when everything went wrong. They had backpacked all through these mountains since college and they had been on the Appalachian Trail when everything fell apart. Jada's cousin had called her to tell her not to come home. Her parents and sister were dead. Shawn's parents were visiting his brother in California.

She and Shawn had left the trail and headed into the mountains to find a place to ride this thing out until things got better. Shawn's first walker kill had been with a pocket knife and her first had been using a trekking pole. Eventually they wound up here in Salem Valley and they were still waiting until things got better.

Morgan and Aaron came back with Sam in tow. The boy was full of stories about cows and pigs and best of all puppies. Aaron was happy to stay overnight. He had warned Eric that they would take two days. Morgan had told Sasha that they wouldn't be back until the next day. So Carol knew that she would get to sleep one night in their house.

Jada and Shawn promised to bring dinner and all five of them cleaned the house because they were having company. Carol went downstairs and grabbed a few bottles of wine. Might as well enjoy being a home owner even if it was for one day.

They ate dinner early. Jada and Shawn brought two large pizzas that made Carol's mouth water just to smell them. Shawn had built a wood fired oven to make pizzas last winter. He said that he could face the zombie apocalypse but he couldn't face it without pizza. He and Jada had grown everything they needed to make pizza but he had to make a run to get olive oil.

Jada shook her head, "We have gallons and gallons of olive oil stashed away. Other people hoard weapons or food but Shawn has all the olive oil left in America."

The pizza was delicious and soon devoured. They drank wine and talked and the evening was filled with laughter fueled by good food and wine. Carol had found a jar of a fruit drink mix for Sam. She had also found a box of moon pies and everyone ate the stale but still moon pies. As close to s'mores as she could ever find now.

Jada and Shawn went home at dusk. Everyone understood the need to be inside before it got dark. Morgan checked the door and windows. The doors on the house were all steel. The windows on the main floor were either barred or on the deck which wasn't accessible except through the living room. Mary Thompson must have watched a lot of zombie movies. Thank God. He and Aaron were sleeping in the living room and alternating watches.

The party went inside as the temperature fell. Sam wrapped himself in a blanket on the couch beside Carol and went to sleep. He had successfully stowed away in the Land Rover and then had a long day on the farm.

Aaron admitted that Eric was driving him crazy or he was driving Eric crazy. Eric wasn't handling being housebound well. He had cleaned and reorganized everything in their house until Aaron couldn't find anything. He needed Aaron's attention 24/7 and it was making Aaron antsy. Carol understood; Daryl would be climbing the walls in twenty four hours if she started clinging to him.

The wine and the camaraderie seemed to foster an atmosphere of confession. "I came all this way to find Rick and we never got two minutes to sit down and talk. I think I could have helped him." Morgan was being all zen like and three pairs of eyes rolled.

"_Consider your own place in the universal oneness of which we are all a part, from which we all arise, and to which we all return."_ Michonne said in her most zen like voice.

"What in the hell does that mean?" Morgan said.

"I don't have a clue, but I'm not a zen master like you. We've been a little busy trying to stay alive and not on the dinner menu." Michonne retorted.

It wasn't even funny but Carol laughed until her stomach hurt. Maybe a touch too much wine she thought and resolved not to drink anymore.

Morgan carried Sam upstairs to his bed. There was a room with twin beds and Carol directed Morgan to put Sam in one of them. She would take the other and Michonne was next door.

The two women found two chairs and set in the hallway talking. "I know that you and Rick are close and that you are worried about him." Carol was feeling a little guilty because she hadn't been a good friend to Michonne. Just thinking about how much she missed Daryl. Selfish.

"I thought we were close. I always liked him. He's a loving father and a good leader. I respect him and I was starting to think that we had a real connection. I love Carl and Judith. I wanted a life, I wanted a family. I thought that Rick wanted that too." Michonne looked away and Carol knew that Rick's infatuation with Jessie had hurt Michonne.

"You were right. We had been out there too long. Leadership takes a toll on Rick. He blamed himself for Terminus, but he was the guy who managed to get loose from his bonds and that saved the others. He was paranoid about Alexandria. I was too. I don't think he was really in his right mind then and he is better now." Carol wasn't going to throw Rick under the bus.

Michonne met her eyes and Carol saw hurt and confusion, "I care about Rick, but I am rethinking wanting more than friendship. Rick is a great friend, but I'm not rushing into anything. Rick is high maintenance and I'm not sure I want that anymore. I love his children but I can be part of their lives without being with Rick."

Carol nodded, "Things work out the way they are meant to. Give it some time. Rick is just starting to get over how things ended with Lori."

"He'll be back. Daryl loves you. He'll be back."

Carol sighed, "He'd love this house. I have missed him so much today. Sometimes I look at Sam and wonder what kind of father Daryl would be. He is full of bluster but he is gentle underneath."

"You and Daryl will do right by that boy. He's a hell of a kid. Figured how to stowaway. He'll con you into letting him have a puppy." Michonne laughed. "He has your number."

Carol laughed, "He has blue-gray eyes like Daryl and he has some of that sass. I would probably be stricter with him than Daryl anyway. We had one stowaway on the way in. Not going to have another one on the way out."

Michonne yawned, "I'm going to bed. We have to visit the molasses making party in the morning, Morgan is going to draw out some snares and barricades, and Esther and Jada are going to show us the finer points of cheese making. Then a quick safe trip back to Alexandria."

"Let's take notes on the molasses and cheese. That pizza was fantastic."

"Always the happy homemaker."

"I'm going to be the pizza queen of Alexandria."

TWD TWD TWD

Carol fell asleep quickly and for once her dreams were sweetly soothing. She was downstairs waiting for Daryl. It was late and he had went somewhere and she was waiting up for him to come home. She had a vague sense that there were children upstairs. Finally, Daryl came through the door. He smiled at her, "Waiting on me?"

She hugged him, "I always miss you when you are gone."

"You should know by now that I will always find my way back." He kissed her and ran his hands under her shirt to her breasts and squeezed gently. "Maybe I need you to show me how much you missed me." He nuzzled her neck, "I've been gone for hours."

Carol murmured into his ear, "Maybe I need you to show me that you're glad to be here."

"Sweetheart, that ain't a pistol in my pocket." He pushed her gently but firmly to their bedroom.

The big bed was made up with a double wedding ring quilt and Daryl picked her up and dropped her in the middle of it. She watched him undress, enjoying the play of muscles as he threw his shirt off. His stomach was still flat and he was still a man who looked better naked than with clothes on. Daryl smirked, "One of us is naked and on display here. Come on now, Carol. Show me the money."

She laughed and he dragged off her socks and rubbed her feet. He bit her big toe. "This little piggy went to the market." He pulled down her cargo pants and licked between her toes, "This little piggy stayed home." He helped her out of her shirt. "This little piggy had bread and butter" and Daryl tickled the next toe. "And this little piggy had none." He took off her bra. "And this little piggy went wee wee wee, all the way home. Daryl pulled down her panties and pulled her little toe. He stood for a few seconds looking at her and then scooted closer to her. "My show's over. Your turn."

Carol laughed, "I get too adventurous and your show will be over." He laughed, "Too true."

He moved closer to her, "So I have to do all the work."

Carol took him in her hand, "Not all of it. I just have this one little piggy to take all the way home."

The rest of a blur of kisses and touches and then thrust and groans as they came together. Carol woke up the next morning and wished that it hadn't been a dream. It had been so real. What was it that Daryl had told her when she told him that she missed him? "_You should know by now that I will always find my way back."_

They were on their way to Alexandria by early afternoon with molasses, cheese, and yes a puppy. _Okay, maybe a few bottles of wine because that had been a very vivid dream_. Morgan was going back there in a few days to help them work on defenses and he seemed happy to be useful. Aaron hurried because he missed Eric. Michonne seemed happier this morning as if she had made peace with her feelings about Rick. Carol looked at Sam and the new puppy which was yet to be named. Daryl would find his way back and they would be waiting for him.

AN

It is fairly common for homeowners to have free gas in my state. That was their compensation for having gas well drilled on their land.

Michonne's zen statement is a quotation from Steve Fontana. I don't have a clue what it means.

Next chapter will be a Daryl chapter.

So how about a review?


	11. Separation

Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.

Khalil Gibran

**Separation**

The leaves were beginning to weep off of the trees around the compound and for some reason Daryl found great pleasure of mulching them up with the mower. Falling leaves only served to remind him that he had been here for almost three weeks. Three weeks away from Carol. He hadn't been separated that long from her before.

He had noticed her at the quarry for all the wrong reasons. She had been bending over to pick up some laundry one day as he came back from hunting and he noticed her ass. Then, he noticed her husband noticing that he was checking out his wife. He scowled at her fat asshole of a husband, but he remembered her ass. Just full enough to make him want to grab her and pull her toward him.

Daryl remembered that he began to come up with reasons why not to notice anything about that woman. She was married to a bully who was leaving bruises on her. She was too weak to stand up for herself or to protect her daughter. Her hair was too short and she was scared of her own shadow. She and her little girl would be dead before the end of summer. They didn't even have the right kind of shoes for survival. Not his business either.

She was pretty though, like a wildflower that you might overlook until it peeped out at you from a roadside or along a creek. Blue eyes just a shade icier than chicory petals. She had pretty ways too. Always sweet to her little girl and she always thanked him when he brought game back. Her face lit up when she smiled. She didn't smile much but it was like the sun coming out after a thunderstorm when she did. Made you feel like there was a rainbow somewhere.

Never been this long without her. Saw her every day at the quarry. Not that he was looking but it wasn't that big a place. Asshole husband got beaten up by Shane and then was on the walker buffet that night. She and her daughter almost died before he got back. He had slept close to the rv that night because they were in there.

Why not admit it now? Merle being gone had scared the fuck out of him but there was also an awareness that he was suddenly in charge of his own life. He was free to invent who he wanted to be. He wanted to be a good man, and a good man would protect those who needed protection Carol and Sophia. He hadn't put into words but he began to drift closer to them. Daryl just knew that he felt better when he was close enough to put a bolt into anything that might harm them.

He knew that and yet he had wandered too far away from them on the highway. The walker herd had forced all of them to hunker down until it passed. Only Sophia had gotten scared and ran into the woods. Rick went after her and he hadn't followed Rick. That was on him. He might have saved her but he had trusted Rick too much and not trusted himself enough.

He stayed close to Carol after that. Days turned to weeks and then weeks to months and then it was summer again. He had tired of chasing after the Governor and being away from the prison. Tired of missing Carol.

She had laughed one morning and told him, "Remember I liked you first."

Daryl always came up something to say hours after he needed to be saying it. He had said, "Stop" and he wished he had said the truth, that he had liked her before he even knew her and he loved her now and forever. He wished he had said that. Just so she would have known that when the bad stuff happened.

He wasn't a religious man, but he knew that some Power had brought them back together. He had thanked that Power when he saw her in the woods outside Terminus. Thanked him more for keeping her alive than keeping him alive.

That day he had forgot all about his aversion to touch. He swept her close to him and whirled her around and buried his face in her neck. He claimed her that day and the rest of the group knew it. The only one that didn't know it was Carol. She was too deep in her sorrow to know much of anything. She would have wandered too far from him after that but he kept himself close to her.

Alexandria had given them a place to finally be together. They had both had more than their share of bad sex. Carol hadn't needed to tell him that Ed had been a brute and that sex between them was about humiliating and hurting her. He just knew that. His bad sex was different. He never like to hurt anyone but he never went back for seconds either. Quick impersonal sex. He always used a condom and made no false promises. Joyless.

He had followed Carol up those stairs almost afraid that was all he could give any woman. Quick joyless sex and then an even quicker run for the border. She had smiled at him that day and he had felt joy even before they kissed. Afterwards she had buried her face in his shoulder and wept. He understood and rubbed her back gently.

The second time was better than the first. Better because he trusted himself not to hurt her and because she knew that Ed was fully erased from her life . This time was all about pleasure and not so much in a rush. Afterwards they talked as they held each other. Some part of him wanted to put his pants on and run. The other part wanted to stay and enjoy looking and touching naked Carol. Naked Carol won the round. She cuddled close to him and teased him unmercifully for "Holding out" on her. He had laughed and asked her, "So no more slow burn?"

"I think our slow burn days are over." She kissed him then and straddled him, "I got something else on my bucket list."

Daryl enjoyed the feeling of her wet pussy on his stomach and her boobs were right there to enjoy too. "Wasn't oral sex enough? Got to be on top too?" Damn, if wasn't he was grinning at her. Fearful Carol had vanished and flirty Carol was moving against his junk just a bit. He loved flirty Carol. He tried to focus his sight on her eyes instead of her boobs.

"If you're not up for another round." Damn woman was kissing him and her tongue was playing with his tongue. He just let her have her way with him because he wanted to enjoy Carol taking her pleasure from him. His dick was voting by standing up and he could see a little hesitation in Carol's eyes. He pushed his fingers into her pussy and rubbed her clit. "If you want it, come and get it."

It seemed to take forever to get the rhythm right but it was the first time he had ever laughed when having sex. Carol laughed too. Guess sex doesn't have to be such serious business. Most everything else was serious in this fucked up world. The happiest day of his life.

Daryl finished the lawn and pushed the mower back to the steel framed building that housed all the tools and machines needed to keep the outside of this place looking pre-Turn. There was a treeless space around the building that was only mowed once a month. Just enough to keep the weeds from taking over. He gave a yearning glance at the tree line. His waiting was almost over; tomorrow he would be given an injection that might cure him, kill him, or do nothing at all.

TWD TWD TWD

He and Rick went to dinner together and met Jesse, Elise, and Christie as always. Rick and Elise always set across the table from one another and verbally sparred with one another. Too damn much alike, those two. Rick was pissed off because Elise was in charge. Elise liked to piss Rick off by acting like she was in charge. Daryl figured that they had that unfulfilled sexual tension thing going.

Elise wasn't anything like Lori, or Michonne, or Jessie. She reminded him of Andrea. Both were used to competing with men and not likely to let them win to soothe their wounded pride. Elise would leave the compound with her troops from time to time. Rick was always in a foul mood until she was back.

Elise had been gone for two days and Rick had been quiet at dinner until she showed up. Daryl didn't miss that relieved look that Rick gave Elise. She had unexpectedly smiled back.

Jesse had looked at the Rick and Elise and winked at Daryl. "Everything okay out there?"

Rick stopped eating and waited for Elise to answer. Jesse was giving Rick the start to a conversation with Elise. Jesse had this ability to give people a push to what they wanted. Daryl figured if Jesse had been at the prison then he and Carol would have been worse than Maggie and Glenn.

Elise took a drink of sweet tea, "We've been in the District trying to keep the last remnants of humanity from killing each other. Hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys."

Rick squirmed a bit, "What did you do?"

"Told them that if they didn't play pretty I was bringing in bombers and blow them all to Kingdom Come. We spent two days arguing over the terms for a lasting cease fire. I am trying to relocate all of them to Fort Belvoir for the winter and then next spring moving them into the Shenandoah Valley to become farmers. We have a few farming settlements that close to self-sufficient and they can join existing settlement or start new ones." Elise looked cautiously at the spaghetti and took a small bite.

Rick asked, "Who protects the farming settlements?"

Elise looked up, "They protect themselves. The soldiers find housing developments close to farmland and they build fences around the houses. Steel barns are built close to the houses. They raise crops and animals. Fort Belvoir never fell to the zombies. A group of soldiers maintained control a few buildings. Gradually they cleared it out and built stout fences. They take survivors in survivors and teach them how to survive."

After dinner everyone went back to the library. Jesse brought out a couple of bottles of wine and everyone toasted to tomorrow's vaccine test. Christie had taken a sip of the wine and then disappeared to do rounds.

Jesse and Daryl discussed airplanes. Jesse was a pilot who had owned a charter airplane company in Virginia before the turn. Jesse promised to teach him how to fly. "It's safer than a motorcycle."

Daryl noticed that Rick and Elise had disappeared with one of the bottles of wine. Jesse shook his head, "Elise hasn't got laid since the Turn. She likes Rick even if he is an uptight asshole."

"Rick likes Elise even if she is bossy and overbearing."

The two men gave each other a fist bump and went back to talking planes and flying.

Daryl woke up early the next morning when Rick came into the room. He decided to give him hell, "Ooh, the Walk of Shame."

Rick sat down. "More like the Walk of Weariness. Trust me, Elise is a woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to tell you. Damn, no matter what happens today? I'll have a smile on my face."

"So is this something serious or just I might die tomorrow fuck?"

Rick shook his head, "I have two kids and Alexandria that need me. Elise made it clear that she still has work to do." Rick was being all cool like he got laid every night instead of every couple of years.

Daryl looked at him sternly, "Did you practice safe sex? Do I have to have the sex talk with you?"

Rick looked cornered, "She just had a couple of out of date condoms, Way out of date. So it was probably not real safe, but it was worth it."

TWDTWDTWD

Daryl and Rick were put in a hospital room together and given hospital gowns. Daryl went into the bathroom to change and Rick was already in bed when he came back. Rick positioned a sheet over himself and smirked, "You look ridiculous".

Daryl slid into bed and covered himself, "Carol would be giving me hell if she was here. Let's get this over fast so we can go home."

Christie and Dr. Koch were in the room when they were given the vaccine. They assured them they were going to be monitored carefully every step of the way. Daryl felt like he was the prize pig at the county fair and he really wanted some pajama bottoms.

Christie maneuvered her chair between the two hospital beds. "No one has had a serious reaction so far from this batch of vaccine. We tested your blood yesterday. You still have the active virus. We will continue to take regular blood tests to check for any change." She checked the monitors surrounding them. "Your temperatures are normal. Both of your vitals are fine. You know that you will probably run a fever and might feel ill for a few days."

Jesse came by with a book about old airplanes. Daryl skimmed through the book. Rick went to sleep and Daryl saw by Christie's grin when Rick started snoring that she knew about Rick and Elise.

Eventually Christie went back to her other patients and a male nurse checked them every fifteen minutes.

Daryl hated being in a hospital. He never got sick. He was just taking up room that a sick person might need and he expressed that sentiment to every nurse that happened by. Christie came in and told him to stop harassing the medical staff. He shut up then.

Christie and Jesse came by after dinner. Rick was pouting because Elise hadn't been by to see him, but he cheered up a bit when Christie mentioned that she was going back to the District today.

Daryl was getting a headache. Too many people and no privacy. Christie noticed something on one of the monitors and came over to him and put her cool hand on his forehead, "You're running a fever, Daryl. It's normal, but you may have a bad night."

Daryl woke up the next morning. He had been out of his fucking head last night and he felt like shit today.

Rick was eating breakfast, "Feeling better?"

Daryl gave him the side eye. "I feel terrible. What happened to me?"

Rick buttered his toast, "You were delirious for hours last night. You were also hilarious. Little fever and your mouth goes into overdrive."

Fuck. "What did I say?" Maybe Rick was just torturing him because he had razzed him over Elise.

"You wanted Carol. For lots of reasons and not all because you were sick. I don't know if I'll be able to look her in the face again after last night." Rick chewed his toast. "And I certainly can't look at her ass or her boob either."

Daryl blushed but managed a blustery response, "You don't need to be looking at her ass or her boobs. Get your own woman and look at her."

Rick was quiet for a moment, "I have apologized to Carol for what I did to her. I'm sorry, I know now how much I hurt you when I sent her away. Last night you kept calling for me to help you find her, that you had looked everywhere but you couldn't find her. I promise you that I will never keep her from you again."

"I love her." First time he had told anyone but Carol that he loved her.

The male nurse came back in. "You feeling better? Fever's back to normal and I just need to take a blood test to see if the vaccine is going bye-bye." He took a vial of blood from each man and then paused at the door. "See you later, Pookie".

Daryl groaned and Rick howled.

Christie woke them up in the middle of the night. "Get dressed, we're getting the hell out of town before the big guys come in and take all the vaccine for themselves. Jesse and I are going with you."

Daryl and Rick dressed quickly and then all four of them moved down the silent hallways. Jesse led them downstairs. "Christie has the vaccine and I have some weapons secreted away. There is an emergency tunnel out of here. I found the original blueprints to this place in the library."

The tunnel entrance was concealed behind a storage cabinet and in a matter of minutes they had the door opened taking the time to pull the cabinet back to block the tunnel. The tunnel opened up into a cavern and Christie flicked on a flashlight. "We're on the back side of the compound. No one would see the light."

The road outside was covered with weeds and brush. Christie had a map and a compass and they headed south looking for a vehicle. Daylight found them twenty miles away and they found a place to rest in the woods. Jesse handed out water and food.

Christie leaned against a tree, "Your town needs a doctor and I need a new place to live. Jesse and I are cousins and we have done our part to find a cure. We're just going to make sure that the cure gets out there to everyone. I stayed long enough to learn how to make our own vaccine. It will take a while to make another batch, but once we get started we can give it out to the settlements in Virginia. We can make it available to the other labs too."

Daryl realized that he was part of something bigger than him getting home to Carol. He and Rick were going to help bring the vaccine to a lost and dying world. Rick turned to him and he saw the old Rick, the man who inspired a ragged band of refugees to take a prison filled with walkers. He nodded to Rick and his friend patted his shoulder.

Later that day they found a car with enough gasoline to make it back to Alexandria.

.


	12. Making Happiness

It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.

Charles Spurgeon

Making Happiness

The trip back seemed to take forever but it was only late afternoon when Jesse stopped the old station wagon outside the gates of Alexandria. Daryl and Rick walked up the road to the tower to wave at Sasha and in a few minutes Rick, Jesse, and Christie were headed toward Deanna's house. Daryl decided that he could skip that party and headed toward home.

He was a few houses away when he saw Sam playing with a little white puppy on the front porch. The boy was on all fours and the puppy was play fighting with him. Sam hunkered down and the dog scampered all over him. It was such an unexpected happy scene that Daryl stopped dead in his tracks. _How in the hell did they find a puppy alive? Just a scrap of fur and gristle, but it is a dog._

Daryl moved closer and Sam looked up. The boy scooted back to the step and the pup stood beside him looking like he was going to tear Daryl limb from limb. Daryl laughed, "You better hold that killer watchdog." Daryl approached the dog slowly and held out his hand to be sniffed. The mutt must like sweat, squirrel, and gasoline because he stopped growling and began licking Daryl's face when he sat down on the step beside Sam.

Daryl decided to get the conversation back on track, "Where's everybody?"

Sam gave him a little grin, "Carol's working at the senior center. She'll be home soon."

_Damn, even the short rounds have me pegged._ "And everybody else?"

"Abraham, Morgan, Glenn, and Eugene are off getting parts. They should be back soon. Carol took Judith with her. The old folks like having a baby around. Carol says it makes them happy."

Daryl held up the scruff that passed for a dog. "How did you get this bundle of poop?" _Better start watching the language, Carol won't take kindly to me teaching this scamp new words_.

Sam gave him a withering look, "His name is Buck. I just read "The Call of the Wild".

Daryl laughed again. _It must be the smiling exercises. Now I'm laughing like a hyena._ "Buck is a good name for a dog."

"He knows a trick. Come here, Buck. Show Daryl that you know how to sit on command. Sit, Buck." Sam held his hand out flat as he said the command and the little dog promptly sat down and looked expectedly at him. "Morgan and I have been rewarding him with a treat when he obeys. Carol says the dog has been training us to give him rewards."

Buck seeing no treat in sight promptly got up and grabbed the red rag out of Daryl's back pocket and ran to the corner of the porch with it. Sam laughed and went to retrieve it. Daryl turned to watch the dog play keep away with Sam.

Carol pushed the stroller up the street. The day had flown by and soon everyone would be home and today was Tuesday so dinner had to be spaghetti. She paused when she saw Daryl and Sam playing with Buck. Daryl was laughing at Sam and Buck. He looked relaxed and happy. _He's home, thank you, God. Daryl's home._

Buck stopped in the middle of his game, dropped the dirty red rag, and raced toward the street. His job now was to welcome his two other favorite people, the woman with the kind hands and the little one whose little hands occasionally pulled at him.

Daryl was about to give chase to the dog when he saw Carol and Judith. He forgot about how tired he was and ran toward Carol. Their hug was different than outside Terminus. This time he held her close and told her that he loved her. This time Carol burrowed into his arms and told him that she loved him.

Their tender reunion was interrupted by Judith, Sam, and Buck, but Daryl still got a few kisses in before they separated. They took their reunion inside. Judith demanded that Daryl's attention. Sam went upstairs with the dog. Daryl filled Carol in on his time away while she began preparing dinner.

"You've been cured?" Her big blue eyes were round with surprise.

"We brought back enough vaccine for Alexandria. Christie Alston is a doctor and she can take the place of Pete. Her Cousin Jesse Graham came with us and he knows everything about engines."

"Where are they going to stay?" His Carol was always so practical.

"Jesse can stay downstairs. Rick can stay down there too. Just me and my harem upstairs."

Carol laughed at him, "You don't get a harem. One is your limit and you have to throw the others back in the water."

He sighed dramatically and then smiled at her, "As long as you are my one, I'm good."

She picked up Judith and put her in her high chair and handed her a cracker. She kissed him. A good deep kiss that promised that this evening held more promise than spaghetti and he loved spaghetti. He loved her more even if she wouldn't let him slurp spaghetti.

The clatter of a boy coming down the steps interrupted the moment. Carol stepped away from him and called, "No jumping that last step."

Sam appeared in the kitchen. "Buck is in his cage taking a nap. Need any help?"

It was obvious to Daryl that Sam adored Carol and she was still being resistant to being adored. _Just hang in there, kid. She's worth it._

"Wash your hands and you can help me make the salad. The bread is ready to put in the oven. Where is Carl?" Sam washed his hands with soap and water.

_I'd better take a shower before the others come back and take up all the hot water. _"I'll go clean up before dinner." Daryl ruffled Sam's hair, kissed the top of Judith's hand, and kissed Carol. "Wanta screw around," he whispered. _Cause I wanta._

"Get behind those ears, Daryl, or I'll make you take another shower tonight." Her crystal blue eyes were laughing at him. _Save water, shower with a friend. I am just a green kinda guy._

"Promises, promises." He went upstairs and grabbed a shower and a shave. He made sure to use the soap that she liked. Daryl knew he was going to be sharing Carol until bedtime, but after that she was all his.

Rick was back with Jesse and Christie by the time he got downstairs. Michonne and Carl had wandered in with Enid and the kitchen was full of people. Sasha had finished her watch and she took Christie upstairs to their room. Rick and Jesse moved to the basement which apparently had added a couple of small bedrooms while he was away. _Carol and Morgan had too much time on their hands. _

Morgan came back from his run and joined the festivities. Daryl noticed that Rick and Michonne talked to each other but there was a reserve that hadn't been there. He also noticed that Jesse was exercising all of his charms on Michonne. She just laughed at him, but she was always beautiful when she smiled so that only encouraged Jesse more. He was a good looking guy with that brown skin and blue eyes. _Their kids will be beautiful and totally badass._

Morgan managed to grab a seat beside of Christie. Daryl shamelessly eavesdropped. They seemed to have a lot to say to each other. _Their kids will be beautiful and kind._

Dinner was chaotic with so many people. Daryl had never been hugged and kissed by so many people in his life. Even Aaron and his sidekick Hopalong Eric came over to welcome everyone. Daryl accepted their hugs. _Merle, Darlinda has gay friends. Deal with it_.

Carl and Enid got stuck with the dishes. They complained so little that Daryl figured that they were going to use the time to flirt and make out. _I wonder if he takes that stupid hat off when they kiss. _

Judith stayed up late snuggling into Rick's arms. Sam played with Buck at Carol's feet. Michonne had watch duty and somehow Jesse talked her into letting him tag along. _It's the blue eyes. Women can't resist blue eyes. _He moved closer to Carol and wondered how he could move this party upstairs without going all cave man and dragging her upstairs_. I have blue eyes too_.

Finally, everyone began to drift toward their bedrooms. Sam grabbed Buck's leash. "We usually take the dog for a walk now." _"We" includes me now._

Daryl stood up and held his hand out to Carol, "Let's go."

She got a jacket out of the closet and made Sam take one. The boy looked at him and he knew Sam wanted to mention that he wasn't wearing a jacket. _Little asshole won't say anything cause because he is too smart to piss Carol off. Our kids will be beautiful and intelligent._

It was cold outside and not too dark. The not quite full moon was bright enough to see by. He automatically checked to see if his knife was there. It was.

Buck scampered around pissing on every bush while they strolled around. There were lights in the houses and Daryl wondered how many would take the vaccine.

Carol must have read his thoughts, "I want the vaccine. Christie wants to start tomorrow."

"I ran a fever, delirious, and out of my head. I may have said a few things about us."

"Is that why Jesse hugged me when we met and called me pookie?" Carol laughed.

"I'll be with you the whole time." _Cause I'll be more scared that you are._

The walk took longer but Daryl didn't mind all that much. He wanted that boy to be ready for bed and not want a long story read to him or some such shit. _Daddy's home and Daddy gets Mommy. That's the way it works. _

The dog growled at a tabby cat that eyed him balefully but let him live. "Where did this dog come from?"

Carol told him the story of the Thompsons leaving her a house in their will. At first Daryl was pissed that she and the others had went for a little jaunt in the middle of the damn ZA and that Sam had been a stowaway. As she talked about the log house and the people she met he began to understand that the trip had made her happier about moving to Virginia. The house in Salem Valley was a place to go to if Alexandria didn't work out and being Carol that somehow made her more comfortable about being herself in Alexandria." _She's complicated_.

"So the kid stowed away and you punish him by giving him a puppy. If he sets the house on fire, does he get a pony?" It was fun to tease her. Obviously, Carol loved the kid, even if she was still resisting.

Carol laughed, but slowed down and lowered her voice, "Sam has lost too much. The dog makes him happy. He's had enough sorrow for a lifetime."

They waved to Michonne and Jesse in the tower as they passed by on their way back. Everyone went upstairs. Daryl checked on Judith while Carol went into their bedroom after reminding Sam to take a shower. Judith woke up when he went in and he rocked her back to sleep. Daryl decided to stay in all out Daddy mode and he knocked on Sam's door.

Sam let him in. He looked wet enough to have taken a shower and Daryl wasn't going to start checking behind his ears. "Are you staying this time?" Sam asked. Daryl threw some stuff off the chair and sat down.

"I'm going to try." _No need to lie to the kid. Shit happens._

Sam narrowed his eyes at him, "Do more than try. She needs you. You know I stowed away and went to Salem with them. Tobin tried to get Deanna to put me in another home. Said that Carol and the others weren't taking good care of me. She needs me too. We need to work together to make sure I don't become Little Orphan Sam who everybody feels sorry for but doesn't love."

Daryl scowled back at him, "Giving a lot of orders there, Short Round. You ain't no orphan if you have Carol and me as your parents. Is that what you want?"

Sam nodded, "I just always liked her even when she was trying to scare the hell out of me. She's got this way about her that lets me know that she cares about me. Just doesn't want to admit it. I like you too. You talk tough but you are like Carol. Not tough inside."

Daryl thought that there were much more pleasurable ways to become a parent, but he was taking this one. Sam needed him and he wanted to be this kid's father. "You stow away again and I'm busting your ass. Just know that."

Sam grinned and Daryl ruffled his hair, "Now get in bed. Buck sleep on your bed?" They both looked at Buck who was in a small cage. The kid nodded.

"I'm going to bed. I'm not squealing on you."

Sam came over and gave him a cautious hug. Daryl gave him an equally awkward hug back but was surprised at how small the boy was. _He really needs someone to look after him._

Carol was already in bed when he got to their bedroom. "Sam and I have been bonding." Daryl sat down on the bed and watched her, "He told me that Tobin wanted to take him away again. That ain't going to happen. Sam just proposed to me. I'm his daddy now. Are you okay with that?"

Carol shook her head, "Daryl, I don't think I could stand to lose another child."

He kicked off his boots and put them by his side of the bed. It gave him some time to think. He should have delayed this conversation until tomorrow. _I really am an idiot. She's gonna get all upset about Lizzie and Mika. _"It's too late. Just like a vampire, you can't let him in your house. You might have made a clean getaway when he came the next day wanting more cookies. You let him in the house and now he's never going away."

Carol rolled her eyes, "This isn't _Twilight_." She gave a little smile when she said it though.

Daryl stood up and started taking off his clothes. "You and Sam belong together. He knows it and you know it. I belong with both of you. That's the way it is going to be. He ain't going anywhere until he gets married at age thirty-five. Now can we stop talking about our misbegotten son and have sex?"

Carol looked mutinous, but Daryl understood her better than she did. She was still putting up barricades to protect herself from being hurt. He stripped off his green underwear that he had been issued at the compound. "Light on or off? I like the light on and unless you're hiding a new tattoo?"

Carol looked pissed, but it was a good look on her, "You are saying that this is a done deal. You're the man and you make the decisions." She was getting madder by the minute and he wondered if it was wrong of him to be so completely turned on by her fury.

He pulled the sheets down, "Guess the lights are on. That way I can see your knife hand. Remember you let me in the house too. I'm not going anywhere but closer to you." He inched over and tickled her feet. "Look at the bright side. He might get married when he is thirty." _Still mad._

Daryl kissed her clenched hand, "Now when have I ever ordered you around? I'm teasing you. I'm going to be his father and you are going to be my wife. It's the way that it is supposed to be. You told me on the road that you can't let yourself feel. Carol, you can't stop loving. It's who you are. Sam is a gift to you and to me."

He kissed her shoulder, "I'm a vampire and I want to bite your neck."

"I am very angry with you."

"No, you ain't. You're turned on. You want to show me that I don't give the orders. Bring it on, Carol. Show me who wears the cargo pants in this family." Daryl wheedled.

She kissed him like a boss. Forcefully and deeply and when they both came up for air Carol managed to squeak, "Tomorrow. We're talking tomorrow."

Later they talked. Carol was over her mad and ready to talk. "Are you on anti-depressants? I've never seen you laugh and smile like you have today."

She laughed when he told her about how he practiced smiling in the mirror. Daryl propped himself up on his elbow, "The compound was like a prison. I couldn't go out into the woods and hunt. I read books and thought about my life. I decided I should stop moping around and let myself be happy."

"What kind of books did you read?" Carol was curious. Daryl was always too busy to sit down and read.

"Books about airplanes and flying. I always wanted to fly a plane. Jesse has his pilot's license. Maybe I'll get to fly sometime. Tell me about your house."

"It's our house. It's about a hundred miles from here, just over the border in West Virginia. Log cabin, made with squared logs. Wood stove in the living room. It's a big house. It's got this big deck that overlooks the valley. Lots of fields and woods around." She remembered her dream. "I should know by now that you're always coming back to me and you never told me that you wanted to fly."

"I think I need more excitement in my life," _Yeah, being chased by walkers and wolves is so last year._

She kissed his nose, "I dreamed about you the night I stayed there."

Daryl slid his hand down to her breasts and began to trace a circle around a nipple, "A good dream?"

Carol tugged at his hair, "A really good dream, but you are so much better in real life."

"Big Poppa wants to show you how good he can be."

They were still awake when they heard Michonne and Jesse come in. They were both laughing and they went into the kitchen. "She likes him." Carol whispered.

"He's a good guy. They will have beautiful bad ass children." Daryl stretched out. "I am so damn happy to be home. Home being the place that Carol lives. Love you."

"Do you want children?"

_I want to go to sleep. I want to have sex with you in the morning. I want pancakes for breakfast. I don't want to talk anymore. I really don't want to say the wrong thing and I don't know what the right thing to say is_. "I want children in my life. There is nothing in the Dixon gene pool that screams that it needs to be continued. Sam is my boy. He is beautiful and smart like you."

Daryl held his breath until Carol spoke, "Happy scares me. Watching you and Sam on the porch made me happy and then scared because I could lose both of you. Maybe I won't. Maybe we can make it together. I took a chance and let myself admit I loved you. I love Sam. He is beautiful and smart like you."

She pulled the covers up and snuggled onto her pillow, "I going to sleep now, but Sam isn't fooling me with that cage in his room. I know good and well that dog sleeps on his bed."

Daryl decided to let her have the last word. Carol and Sam were safe and he was home. And that's a good thing.

A


	13. Changing Seasons

_The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change._

_Carl Rogers_

Changing Seasons

Carol, Michonne, and Morgan stood in line for the vaccine the next morning. Daryl and Sam were home minding Judith. Rick and Deanna had decided that vaccinations for those who wanted the vaccine should start the morning after Christie arrived. At any time a group of armed mercenaries/soldiers might roar in and demand their vaccine back.

Christie and Jesse were giving the injections. Most women were making an effort to get in his line. Carol understood. He had gentle hands and he was very good looking. Morgan had jumped to Christie's line. Carol understood. Christie had gentle hands and she was very good looking. Carol didn't care who gave her the injection because she was going home to Daryl who had gentle hands and was very good looking.

She and Daryl were in a quandary about Sam. Should he take the vaccine? No one knew for sure the side effects. Would there be another chance? Carl was in line, but what about Judith? Like everything else in this new world there just wasn't an easy answer. It felt strange to Carol to make decisions with Daryl, but she realized that she wasn't autonomous anymore. She had to change if she and Daryl were going to be equal partners. They decided to talk to Deanna and see if she had any objections.

Christie smiled at her, "Carol, I promise not to hurt you." One quick swipe of a cold liquid against her arm and a quick injection later Carol was finished. Christie patted her shoulder, "It's over."

Most of the citizens of Alexandria were in line. Christie had met with everyone this morning and explained how the vaccine worked and possible side effects. She and Jesse had taken the vaccine secretly at the compound. She had been fine but Jesse had ran a slight fever. A few people had ran a high fever that responded to medications.

Carol noticed that the elderly had been the first through the line. A group of volunteers were tending to the seniors today in case they became feverish. Most couples were taking the vaccine on different days. Eric was taking it today and Aaron tomorrow.

Christie wasn't staying in Alexandria long. She, Morgan, and Jesse were leaving for Salem Valley in a few days. Christie wanted to stay long enough to give everyone here a chance to take the vaccine and to see if there was a reaction. Morgan thought that she would be safer in Salem, and it was obvious that Christie's safety was a priority for him. All three of them could stay in the log house for a few weeks and inoculate anyone in Salem Valley that wanted the cure.

Carol watched Jesse swab Michonne's arm saying something to her that made Michonne smile at him. Jesse smiled back and then quickly injected her. Carol knew Michonne hated needles and getting her flirt on with Jesse seemed to make getting the injection easier. Jesse took his time putting on the gauze protection on Michonne's shoulder and he said something else that made Michonne laugh again.

Daryl had already ratted Rick out to her for having sex with some woman named Elise at the compound. Sex for Daryl was about trust and lust. Once he trusted you and himself enough to let his libido control the event, he trusted you enough to keep his secrets. Pillow talk was new for Daryl but he was trying not to keep things from her. Carol wasn't surprised that Rick had finally moved on from Lori, not after the way he looked at Jesse. She was just surprised that he would risk losing his chance with Michonne by having a casual affair.

Carol looked at Jesse who had finally ran out of reasons to keep Michonne by his side. Michonne was moving toward her. Carol grinned, "You didn't get a lollypop?"

Michonne looked at her bandage, "It did hurt, but I was brave."

Carol patted her arm, "You were brave. Not a tear, but then you were standing beside old blue eyes over there."

"He is a damn fine looking man, and he is funny and smart. Why does he have to leave so soon?" Michonne lamented. She looked toward Jesse who was swabbing another woman who was obviously striving her his attention. He looked up and smiled at Michonne. "Look at that skank trying to get her swerve on with Jesse".

"We better go before you get out your constable gun or your katana and begin clearing out the competition. So he is still leaving with Christie and Morgan?"

Michonne nodded sulkily, "They are going to take the cure to Salem. Saving the world takes precedence over staying in Alexandria."

"Go with them. You can help save the world too. Go if you want to. How many blue eyed African-American men are left in Virginia? " Carol rebuked herself for giving advice to Michonne. It wasn't her style, but there was something in the way that those two were together. Michonne was lighter hearted, her smile more present, and Jesse obviously smitten with Michonne. He seemed delighted with Michonne's skill with a katana without being resentful or competitive. He would let Michonne be Michonne.

"Look at you, being all big and bold. Just because you and Daryl finally and I mean finally started being the beast with two backs doesn't mean that the rest of us can just run off with a handsome stranger." Michonne smiled at Jesse who kept glancing up from his job to look at her.

"We better go before Jesse stabs the needle into his own shoulder. You're distracting him." Carol started toward the door and her friend followed her.

"Where is Daryl? Home resting? You probably wore him out last night and this morning." Michonne was rewarded by a faint pink tinge in Carol's cheeks. "Good on you both. Seize the day and each other."

Carol stopped to put on her jacket and handed Michonne her jacket. The two women went down the steps to find that Daryl and Sam were walking toward them. Sam had Buck on a leash. Daryl was carrying Judith. He might be domesticated enough to carry a baby but not enough to push a stroller. That was fine with her. She was willing to let Daryl be Daryl.

It was cold and windy. There had been a heavy frost last night and leaves were whirling in the air. Judith and Sam were wearing jackets and Daryl's concession to the cold was wearing a long sleeved shirt under his vest.

Daryl handed Judith to Carol, "How are you feeling? If you're okay, Aaron and I are going out to look to see if there are any unfriendlies around. Rick and Morgan are going in another direction."

"I feel fine. Be careful out there." Daryl was never going to be the guy who let someone else do the heavy lifting. He had changed enough to allow himself to give Sam a pat on the back, kiss Judith's cheek, and give her a fleeting kiss.

Michonne was surprisingly silent.

She and Michonne visited with Deanna. The older woman cuddled Judith and laughed when Sam showed her Buck's one trick. The combination of baby, boy, and little white dog was irresistible and Deanna seemed happier than she had been in weeks.

Deanna had been the first one through this morning. "Where is the press when you have a perfect photo-op?"

Carol finally asked, "What do you think about Sam taking the vaccine? Daryl and I would like you to make the decision."

Deanna nodded, "Let me talk to Sam alone."

Carol and Michonne took a sleepy Judith home. Sam came back later. Carol and Michonne were peeling potatoes for the evening meal when he came in. "I want to take it tomorrow. Mrs. Monroe said she will let you and Daryl make the final decision. I'm not afraid and I don't want to miss my chance."

"We'll talk to Dr. Alston when she comes in later," Carol was still up in the air but Daryl wanted Sam to have the vaccine.

It started to rain that afternoon. Carl played video games with Sam downstairs. Michonne kept checking Carl for signs of fever but he seemed to be fine.

Christie and Jesse had made the rounds to check on everyone who had taken the vaccine. A few cases of low grade fever but nothing to serious so far. They joined them in the kitchen. Jesse made cornbread "just like my grandma used to make". Christie made the dessert.

Daryl and Rick came in complaining about the cold and both were soaking wet. No unfriendlies were found. The weather had gotten worse. The temperature was still falling, rain and fog had limited visibility, and they were both glad to be out of the weather.

Christie asked if she could give a blessing over the meal. Daryl remembered that she had always bowed her head over her food before she ate. Carol didn't miss the look of adoration from Morgan. He wasn't too shy to run off with a stranger.

Daryl and Rick did the dishes. Carol felt tired and went upstairs. Christie took her temperature, "You have a slight temperature. Try to drink room temperature liquids. I am going to give something to bring it down."

Daryl came upstairs to take care of her. She didn't feel bad enough to not want the attention. Sam came to check on her and then went to his room to read. Michonne's fever was a little higher than hers and Jesse volunteered to tend to her. Carl and Morgan were both fine.

Daryl and Rick had watch that night. Daryl had left their bedroom door ajar and Carol shamelessly listened to Jesse and Michonne talking. Her fever had dropped after medication but he stayed close by because he was worried it would spike up again. He had a nice voice Carol decided. Masculine but soft as if he had nothing to prove. He was telling Michonne that his first job after high school was working at a small airport for flying lessons. Once he got his pilot's license he signed up to work in Alaska for two years. He worked twelve hour days for twenty four months working on the big machines used in oil production.

He came back to Virginia swearing never to go north of the Mason-Dixon Line again and with enough money to buy an airplane and begin a small charter company in northern Virginia. His brother had married and moved to Austin, Texas. He had been busy with his airline business and adding to his collection of old airplanes. His parents were living in Virginia but they liked to travel in their Winnebago. He visited his cousin Christie who was a doctor/professor at the University of Virginia fairly often. They had always been as close as siblings.

"Christie called me at the hangar early that morning and told me that some sort of virus had been found in Florida. My parents were visiting my brother and her parents were killed in a car crash years ago. I flew down and by the time I got there all hell was breaking loose in Charlottesville. I had a weekend home in the Shenandoah with a landing strip on the property. We stayed there for a couple of months until Elise and her soldiers found us and we have spent the rest of the time in the compound. I was a soldier until I had an accident and hurt my knee two months ago. I'm doing rehab on it now."

Carol translated all that as Jesse wanting Michonne to know that he and Christie were their only living relations and he couldn't let her go off without him. He knew how to fight and was available. Carol smiled thinking of all those on-line dating service in which applicants listed their characteristics (probably all lies). Jesse's could be an attractive thirtyish African-American business owner seeks a relationship with a katana wielding lawyer with serious trust issues.  
She amused herself by writing Daryl's: A scruffy but handsome fortyish former drifter with a laundry list of issues stemming from being abused as a child. Will hunt for food. He is looking for love with a fortyish widow who has similar past issues with abuse and who suffers from PTSD and prone to random acts of mass destruction.

Carol was feeling better and she went to check on Sam. Fast asleep and yes Buck was curled up beside him. She peeked in at Michonne who was also asleep. Jesse was curled up beside her on top of the covers. She threw a blanket over Jesse and went back to bed, falling asleep almost at once.

Daryl woke her when he came to bed. She nestled close to him; for once he was the cold one and she was the warm one. "How you feeling? Better?"

He sounded so hopeful that Carol smiled. She felt perfectly fine. She turned to face him and kissed him letting her hand travel down to his dick and rubbing it firmly enough to let him know she was interested. "How do you think I am feeling?"

He groaned a bit, "Carol, go to sleep. I'm tired and you are acting weird. Are you out of your head?"

She nibbled his lip and sucked at his neck, "There is a part of you that isn't tired. It's acting like it wants to stay up all night."

Daryl kissed her forehead, "You don't have a fever. You ain't delirious. So you keep this shit up I'll have to show you what happens to naughty patients who don't follow doctor's orders."

Carol cooed, "Tell me more".

"I'll have to do a complete examination. Take off your clothes and don't bother with that gown where you ass hangs out. This is a very difficult case. I'll have to check your entire body."

"Be thorough, doctor." Daryl had eased out of his briefs and was kissing her neck while he gently squeezed her breasts. "Just take all the time you need to rid me of this weird feeling I have."

"Weird feeling?"

"Like I just have to have you inside me. Is there any cure?"

Daryl laughed, "It's a chronic condition. The only treatment is a good rubdown, lots of contact with the afflicted areas, and of course long slow thrusts inside you to relieve the pressure."

"Chronic? You mean it's going to be coming back?"

"I sure hope so."

TWDTWDTWD

The sun came out the next morning. Carl and Rick went scouting. Sam was vaccinated with Carol and Daryl on either side. He insisted that he was too traumatized by the experience to go to school that day. Daryl agreed that he should go back to the house and stay in bed all day.

"Let's take a walk outside the gates," Carol was feeling restless. She wanted out of Alexandria and into some fresh air. "We can take Sam if he isn't too upset."

They took a few minutes to gather weapons, water, and food. Soon the three of them were outside the walls. Daryl had refused to let Buck go, "He's just a pup and we might walk too far for him."

Carol knew that wasn't the reason. Dogs tended to bark when you needed them to be quiet.

Daryl spent most of the hike teaching Sam how to walk quietly in the woods and the importance of being aware of everything around you. The air was clear and cool and squirrels jumped from limb to limb like miniature hairy acrobats. There were rabbits in the open areas. Daryl taught Sam how to make snares, "We'll get dinner on the way back." Daryl patiently identified trees and flowers for Sam.

They ate lunch on a rock that overlooked a few houses scattered along an empty road. Sam sat between them. There hadn't been a walker in sight all morning but three staggered toward them as they started back through an open field. Daryl ordered, "Get behind us, Sam."

Carol knew that Daryl could have handled them on his own, but this was about teaching Sam not to panic. She grabbed her knife. "I could shoot them with my pistol, but the sound will bring more." She moved swiftly toward a walker that was coming from them from the side. Carol raised her weapon and struck it through the walker's eye and then wrenched it out. She wiped her weapon clean.

Daryl had dispatched the other two. He showed Sam the entry wounds. "Gotta hit them in the brain, every other place and they're still coming for you." Sam looked shaken, but not terrified. They cleaned up at a small creek nearby and walked back.

Daryl and Sam checked their snares on the way back. There was a rabbit in the first snare. Carol watched their surroundings. The meadow was starting to lose the battle with bushes and trees. Daryl was explaining how to quickly dispatch a rabbit when Carol saw a big buck come out of the trees and walk across the field. He was magnificent but he was also food.

"Daryl". She stood still and kept her voice low.

He looked up immediately, "Something wrong?"

"There is a big buck headed our way. He is behind you about fifty yards. He doesn't see me."

Daryl grabbed his cross bow and straightened up slowly. The deer had come closer and had lowered his head to eat. He lifted his head and Carol knew he was going to bolt away at any second.

Daryl's bolt was already on its way. It was a clean hit. The deer was dead by the time they made their way there. Daryl motioned for Carol to take Sam away while he did the field dressing.

They waited close enough for Daryl to be there if things went wrong. "I wouldn't get sick," Sam insisted.

Daryl dragged the carcass to the trees and unearthed a nylon rope. He tied the rope around the deer's head and hung it up high enough to keep other animals from getting to it. They hurried back then. It was still early in the afternoon, but Daryl was going to come back with a four wheeler to help transport the meat.

Dinner that night was rabbit stew. Daryl had given the deer to Alexandria's butcher, John Walls who would let it hang for a few days before the cut it up. They would be given a portion of the venison.

After dinner Christie and Jesse gave more details of the plan. They did intend to go to Salem Valley and vaccinate those that wanted the cure. Then, they were going to meet up with Elise and her soldiers at Charlottesville. The University of Virginia's research facilities were still intact and there were several doctors and researchers still alive in the area. The soldiers had been ferrying supplies to the area for six months, one small load at a time. Solar panels had been installed to provide enough power to run the equipment needed to make the vaccine.

Elise was there now. Fort Belvoir was providing engineering support. The goal was to make as much vaccine as possible and begin giving it out to everyone who wanted it. Christie smiled, "We need to get UVA up and running as soon as possible. We can't put the world back the way it was, but at least we can allow humans to die knowing that they won't come back as a monster. We're hoping for a harsh winter that will wipe out most of the zombies in Middle Atlantic States. They are almost nonexistent in the northern plains, the Rocky Mountains, and New England."

Rick asked, "What can we do to help?"

"You've done enough. You and Daryl got us out of the compound and on our way to Charlottesville. Morgan is going to help us go the rest of the way."

Christie was persuaded to stay long enough to make sure that the vaccine had worked and that everyone recovered with few side effects. The small convoy leaving Alexandria that day included Christie, Morgan, Jesse, and Michonne in the Land Rover. The next vehicle carried most of the supplies and Daryl and Aaron. Sitting in the back seat were Carol and Eric and in the third row was a boy named Sam and a dog named Buck.

Carol looked at the boy sitting beside her, "I should have left you with Deanna. Stay close to the adults and keep that dog quiet."

Daryl said, "I should have left Carol at home."

Aaron said, "I should have left Eric at home.

Eric had a walking cast now, but Aaron knew he couldn't run. Eric was tired to keeping the home fires burning while Aaron had all the excitement.

Daryl had been adamant that Carol stay behind. Carol disagreed and there had been a long protracted argument between the two of them. In the end, they both compromised. Carol and Eric would stay at Salem Valley. The others were moving on to Charlottesville.

Sam had made his case for inclusion. Carol was a definite no and Daryl broke the other way. "How safe is it anywhere? He should be with us. If you go, then he goes".

Finally Carol agreed. "I don't want to leave him either. You're right, Sam should be with us. "

Aaron met Eric's eyes in the rear view mirror and smiled. Sometimes the heart overrules the head and it surely had in this case.


	14. Second Home

Second Home

Aaron gave a low curse when he sighted a small herd of walkers ahead on the road to Salem Valley. The fields on either side of the road were filled with high weeds but there wasn't anywhere for a massive herd to be hiding. He stopped and looked at Daryl, "What do you want to do?"

Daryl noted that the herd was more bones than flesh and were moving very slowly, "Let's put them out of their misery."

The Land Rover stopped behind them and Jesse, Michonne, and Morgan got out. Carol got out with her machete when Daryl and Aaron started walking toward the herd. She stood at the driver's door and kept watch. Aaron had kept the engine running and she knew her job was to protect those inside. Morgan was standing at the back of his vehicle keeping an eye on the road behind them.

Michonne was unleashing her katana and leading the way. Jesse off to her right, Aaron and Daryl to her left. The men were taking care to give her a wide berth as she warmed her muscles for the battle to come.

The herd began to meander toward them and Carol did a quick circuit around the Tahoe to look for trouble and to make sure she could turn the vehicle around. Sam had taken her seat and she stopped by the door, "Stay in there. Keep the dog quiet. Watch the field over there to make sure we don't have visitors." He nodded.

Michonne and Jesse started on the right side of the herd and Aaron and Daryl the left. Michonne's katana was making quick work of ridding the world of this herd. Jesse had her back ensuring that no walker came around from behind.

Daryl and Aaron worked together. Both men were using knives. The herd was dispatched quickly and then rolled out of the road. Daryl wiped his knife on the grass and put it back in it sheaf.

There was a brief powwow about changing their route. "This is the fastest way, and we'll have to backtrack to get to another road that goes that way." Aaron knew that the dead were everywhere.

The encountered two more herds on the way to Salem. Not huge herds but enough that everyone's nerves were on edge by the time they left the highway. The narrow curvy road that led to Salem was a welcome relief. Morgan guided them through the obstacles that he had helped build on his last visit and they were soon waved through the road block.

Sam had been quiet all morning but he and Buck scooted up to sit beside Carol as they traveled by the small farms of the community. He leaned into Carol smiling and waving at the children who were playing in their fenced in yards. Morgan stopped at Jacob and Esther's house, "Christie needs to talk to them. We'll be there in a few minutes."

The log house sat like a ship with its prow facing the west. Daryl looked at it suspiciously. He got out of the Tahoe with his knife drawn. He walked around the back of the house and looked around and then back to the others, "Looks okay".

He insisted that they wait outside until the house was checked. Carol was disappointed because she wanted to see Daryl's first reaction to their house, but she understood. Following that routine had kept all the survivors from the farm alive all those dangerous months on the road. The irony being that they began dying when they reached the sanctuary of the prison.

Daryl motioned to them from the kitchen door. "It's safe." He went on to the Tahoe and grabbed a load of supplies and brought it in. Aaron helped Eric in and Sam grabbed his bag and took it to "his" room".

Carol brought her bag to the master bedroom. She opened the window and used the bathroom. Daryl followed her in, "This our room?"

She nodded, "Morgan and Jesse will have a room. Michonne and Christie, and Sam will have the room that he stayed in last time. Aaron and Eric are going to stay in the basement. There is a bed and bathroom down there."

Daryl was looking around the room, "Bars on the windows and steel doors. Seems safe". His tone was carefully neutral as it had been since their fight the night before. Their first fight really since they got together. They had both been angry. Daryl insisting that she stay home and Carol stating that she was going. Finally, Daryl had said, "Do what you want to do." He had been distant with her ever since. _We're not the make-up sex type. Anger scares us. We've been hurt too much by anger. _

Carol thought of all the things she needed to do, but threw them at the back of the list, "Let's go look at the view."

Daryl followed out of their room and into the living room and out onto the deck. There were leaves and twigs scattered over the deck flooring but the view of the surrounding mountains and Salem Valley was even more beautiful now. The mountains before had been a constant green and now they sported gold, yellow, red, brown and mixed in with it all was green from stubborn leaves that weren't ready to give up the good fight.

Daryl gripped the deck railing and leaned over. "They used steel beams and set deep in the ground. He straightened up and looked at Carol, "It's like a tree house, like being part of the trees and not just being around them. You know what I mean?"

Carol nodded, "I get that feeling in the living room too. That this house was built to be part of its surroundings so that you can see all the life around you." _Now would be a good time to end the cold war._

Sam bounded out on the deck with Buck. "Let's go to Shawn and Jada's?" _Great timing, Sam._

"Let's get the house cleaned up first. We might get company. You can sweep the deck." Carol went back into the house and found a wide broom. "Leave Buck in here."

Daryl and Aaron had disappeared. Eric rolled his eyes and she suspected that he was feeling a little left out, "They are going through the outbuildings."

Eric cleaned the kitchen and Carol cleaned the living room and deposited clean linens to all the bedrooms. She made up the bed in the master bedroom and cleaned the bathroom. The ceiling fans were on and the house was beginning to lose that musty closed up smell.

Daryl was concerned about the lack of firewood, "There's enough for a few weeks, but I saw some downed trees we can cut up. There's two chain saws in one of those outbuildings."

Jada and Shawn came into the yard and shouted their presence. Carol found herself brushing past Daryl to hug them. Shawn kissed the top of her head and tossed Sam into the air and caught him in a hug, "Good to see you." Buck jumped and scampered around their feet.

The other half of their group joined them for a picnic lunch held on the deck. They drank sweet tea and ate sandwiches. The vaccinations would start tomorrow morning in the community church, but they had the afternoon free to enjoy an Appalachian autumn afternoon.

Daryl was determined to enjoy the afternoon cutting firewood. Shawn laughed, "I'll help. We had a windstorm last spring and we can get to those trees easy. I'll bring the tractor and the trailer. Now let's see if that fuel will still work." Shawn stood up and stretched, "Come on, old man, let's see what you got."

The other men except Eric stood up, heeding some ancient drive of all males to show that they can compete.

The women heeded some ancient drive of all females to talk and plan what needed to be done. Then they went to work.

There was a procession of trucks going up the hill that afternoon. The men of Salem began to drift in and help. Two men brought their log splitters and Daryl was amazed at how quickly the downed trees were cut into two foot sections and then fed to the hungry log splitters. They used as much as the tree as they could and then hauled the brush into a pile at the edge of the field. Another group used a trailer to take the cut wood back to the house and stack it.

The women brought cool water and stayed out of their way. Jada warned them that they needed to get ready to host a party. Women began arriving late in the afternoon with food and they helped set up the light plastic topped tables that had been in one of the outbuildings. Eric and Esther seemed to have an instant bond and she shared her recipe for blackberry cobbler with him.

The tables were set up on the edge of the field in the shade of some tall oaks. The men finished their work and washed up from a water hose. Jacob gave the blessing and the mountains of food that had been piled on the tables began to disappear.

Carol noticed that Sam and an African-American girl about his age ate dinner together. They disappeared later and she found them on the deck with their feet dangling over the edge and talking. Buck had wedged himself in between them. Carol went to her pack and found the digital camera that Daryl had brought back from the compound. She had been playing around with it and she used it to take several photographs. Buck ran toward her and she recognized his "Potty now" behavior.

"Buck needs a walk. I'll go with you." This wasn't Alexandria. Anything could wander out of these woods.

Sam remembered his manners, "Carol, this is Alia." He got up and offered his hand to help the girl who didn't look as if she needed any assistance. Carol hid her grin. "Alia, this is Carol. She's my… foster mother."

Carol felt that familiar pang. She had refused to identify her relationship with Sam in the past. Yet, seeing him so happy and relaxed on the deck had sent her scurrying for the camera. _Capture the moment_.

Alia stepped forward and offered her hand politely, "I am very pleased to meet you, Miss Carol."

Carol smiled at Alia. It might be impossible not to smile at Alia. Her hair was a mass of untamed curls and she had a smile that demanded a return. "Would you like to walk with us? We'll wait until you ask permission."

Alia's smile faltered, "They won't notice, but I'll run and tell my aunt." Her pronunciation of "Aunt" labelled her from the eastern part of the state and Carol wondered what her story was.

Alia dashed off and came back so quickly that Carol wondered if she had really asked but Buck needed a walk now.

Michonne met them at the door, "I need a break from all these good people. I'm going with you."

Alia held out her hand, "Hello, I'm Alia and you must be Michonne."

Michonne sent Sam her mean look, "Don't believe anything that this scoundrel says. I am just a sweet lady who bakes cookies and tends to the flowers in my garden." Michonne's genuine laugh broke out, "Well, maybe I'm not that, but I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Alia".

Buck pulled at the leash and they walked back toward the road. The children walking behind the adults. Alia identified every tree, flower, and bird for Sam. Carol took a few photographs of the two of them as Alia pointed out the identifying characteristics.

The evening was coming on but it was still warm and bright up on top of the hill and Carol stretched her arms and she could felt unaccountably happy. _I love it here_.

"Did someone teach how to identify all this?" Michonne swept her arms in two graceful arcs to include everything in their path.

Alia shook her head, "My grandmother had some field guides at her house. My father grew up here and then went to college at Georgetown where he met my mother. I was spending the summer here while my parents were working on some sort of project at Fort Detrick."

So little said but so much was conveyed. Her parents lost in the chaos after the Turn. She was here with an aunt that wasn't too concerned about her. The grandmother was probably dead too. There was sadness and grief on her expressive face, but there was strength. Alia was a survivor. Carol felt that tug again. Children were her Achilles' heel.

Alia bent and picked a maple leaf off the ground and twirled it between her long golden brown fingers, "The beginning of wisdom is to know something by its right name".

They were back in time to thank everyone for helping. Alia left with a dour looking couple with three other children all younger than Alia. The men put all the tables and chairs back and cleaned up the yard. The women did the dishes.

The house was warm and cozy and they enjoyed a cup of coffee while they ate the black berry cobbler that Esther and Eric had baked. Sam was quiet which made Carol suspect that he was up to something. He and Daryl took Buck for his last walk, really just a pee break close to the house.

Carol went upstairs with Sam. "I don't need a shower. I'll save the hot water for everyone else." The hot water was limited so Carol didn't protest. He did wash his hands and face and brush his teeth while she waited in his room. He had packed more books than clothes.

Sam jumped into bed. Buck tried to follow him but the bed was too high. Carol sighed and lifted the dog up. "It was a little scary getting here today." _Better let him talk about it._

"It was scary, but you and Daryl were there. That made it less scary." Sam rubbed Buck's head, "I want Alia to be part of our group." _Now that came out of nowhere._

"Her aunt and uncle will protect their children. Alia doesn't have anyone who will put her first. She should be with us." He looked at her, "I'm not asking you to be her mother. Aunt Michonne and Uncle Jesse can be her parents. I'm going to marry her someday, so she can't be my sister." _Well, now that we have your next twenty years planned I'll just go downstairs and tell Daryl that it's all arranged._

"Michonne and Jesse are just friends. You might like Alia but that doesn't mean that you are going to wind up together." _You're just a little boy._

"We're supposed to be together. Like you and Daryl. Like Michonne and Jesse. You should be with the person who loves who you really are. Alia is brilliant and funny. She is my soul mate." _Soul mate?_

Carol decided to start checking on the books that Sam was reading. "Well, this half of your soul mated duo is going to sleep and tomorrow maybe we can ask if Alia can spend the day with you." _I thought boys would be easier._

Daryl was already in bed. He looked exhausted. _Too damn bad for your luck. I am so not spending another night with you sleeping with your back turned toward me_.

Carol went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and work up her nerve to talk to Daryl. She tested the water and decided that a quick tepid shower was needed. The water turned from tepid to ice cold in about three seconds and she was freezing when she got out of the shower. She put on a long t-shirt to sleep in. _I must have been really mad when I packed_.

Daryl was still wake when she slid into bed. He turned toward her. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm cold". _I am not shivering with desire, I am freezing._

He moved toward her and gathered her close and she held onto him. Not just because he was warm.

"Taking a cold shower? Are you that mad at me?" He mumbled into her ear. Daryl sat up, "I need to talk to you."

"I'm here." _Talking is good._

"Last night I was angry when you said you were coming here. I had no right to order you to stay in Alexandria. I get mixed up in my feelings some times. I was angry because I was scared that you'd get hurt out here." He paused for a second, "I knew you loved this place when you kept looking at it coming up the hill. It made me feel like I wasn't good enough for you. I never found you a home like this. That you wanted this to be your home and where did I fit in? Jealous of a house. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry." _I'm sorry too._

Carol resisted the urge to kiss him. "I was angry last night too. You keep leaving me and I'm afraid that you won't come back. I'm afraid to be angry. It scares me. I do love this house. It is my second home, but don't you know that my first home is wherever you are? I wanted to spend some time here with you because part of the reason I love it so much it is because it is the house that fits you."

"That day when we took Sam outside the walls? I loved it. Seems like my whole life I've been trapped in places. I was happy at the prison, but how often did I get to go outside the walls?" Carol remembered walking the around the front of the prison and wanting to walk outside the walls or to ride on a motorcycle.

"Did you mean that? That I'm your first home?" _I guess you skipped over that part about my feeling trapped. _

"Yes, where I live is not as important and who I live with. I want to be with you. And Sam and his dog. He has decided that he is going to marry Alia." Carol laughed, "She is his soul mate."

Daryl was lying on his side facing her. "Maybe she is. I wish I had met you when we were ten. You could have been the first and only girl I've kissed." He kissed her then. Gentle and sweet. Then he kissed her again and again until his tongue began to trace her bottom lip and she opened her mouth to his tongue. _Daryl, that would have changed both our lives._

She pulled back after a bit, "You don't kiss like a ten year old."

"That was our first make out session when we were fourteen. You let me touch your boobs and I almost went in my pant the night that I first kissed you there and I felt your nipples in my mouth." Daryl sucked and bit gently at her breast and Carol felt herself become warm and wet between her legs.

"I never wanted you to stop doing that, but I wanted more too. We were touching each other to reach orgasm by the time we were fifteen." She reached down and rubbed his erection and Daryl put his fingers between her legs caused her to buck toward him.

"I wanted more of you and one night I kissed a trail down your body and parted your legs and put my tongue in you. You made noises I had never heard you make before and you kept begging me for more." Daryl caressed her there with his tongue and Carol felt like a horny teenager. He didn't stay nearly long enough.

"Did we make it to sixteen before real sex?" Daryl asked. _Not a damn chance._

"Probably not, but let's pretend we did. So what happened? You dangled condoms in front of me until I agreed to the deed?" Carol leaned in for more kisses. _No more playing around. _

"Probably like now. You just couldn't wait any longer. You do have a problem with delayed gratification."

"So stop delaying my gratification, Dixon."

"Maybe we could ride the bike or go for more walks when we get back to Alexandria." _I should have known that you were listening all along._

AN

Fort Detrick is in Maryland and all sorts of medical research goes on there.

Carol and Daryl aren't perfect. So they would fight occasionally.

Next chapter will probably send Daryl off to the University of Virginia.


	15. Protective Instinct

Protective Instinct

Daryl was gone when Carol woke the next morning. She remembered hearing him say that he was going to do some exploring today. She was up in time to feed the group going to the church to work with vaccinations. Shawn and Jada came by and Sam left with them to do chores. They promised to have him back in a couple of hours.

Carol wanted to go find Alia's house. She had told Sam that she would see if Alia could visit today. They would be going home soon. Michonne was outside working with her katana. She accepted Carol's invitation to accompany her.

Michonne was amused when Carol told her that Sam had decided she and Jesse should adopt Alia. She unleashed her katana and struck a dramatic fighting post, "I have no time to tend to children. I am a warrior and a warrior has to vanquish the forces of darkness."

Carol laughed, "You are probably scaring the hell out of the locals. Let's ask Esther where Alia lives." Michonne drove the Tahoe. "I've walked enough this last year and a half to know that you don't walk when you don't have to."

Esther was planting bulbs in her front yard. She stood up when they told her they were looking for Alia. "Let's go sit on the porch." She led the way to her porch and settled herself into a rocker leaving the swing for the Carol and Michonne.

"Alia's grandmother is very ill. We think that it's cancer. Christie went to her house this morning and gave her the vaccination. She doesn't have long to live. Miriam's husband died young leaving her with two boys to rear on her own. Isaiah and his wife lived in a little town about twenty miles from here. They got their family here that day, but Isaiah was bitten later on. His wife married again. A man with children of his own."

"Alia's dad and mother worked in some sort of medical research. Alia was with them at Fort Detrick. David and Sharyn drove down here and dropped Alia off. Two days Fort Detrick was destroyed in what the government said was a terrorist attack. The next day the dead came back to life only to kill others. That little girl is losing her grandmother now. The aunt isn't mean to her, but she is too busy to give her much attention."

Esther called Jacob in from the barn and he went with them to a small farm nearby. They stopped in front of a white farmhouse with a secure fence around the yard. Jacob sighed, "Now, Miriam looks bad. She doesn't have long now. She may be asleep." He escorted them up the walkway and knocked gently on the door. Alia's aunt answered the door and Jacob talked with her for a few minutes. He waved them in, "Miriam wants to meet you two. Alia has been telling her all about you."

The house was clean and filled with the sort of furniture that makes antique dealers cry. Carol could hear children playing out back. They were led to a main floor bedroom. A withered husk of a woman was lying on the bed. She looked too frail to breathe, but her eyes were open and she asked Jacob to prop her up. He did with the gentleness that he did everything else.

Miriam smiled tiredly at them, "Come sit down. If you two aren't a pair, all loaded up with knives and guns. "

They sat down. Carol ventured, "My son Sam really enjoyed meeting Alia yesterday. I was hoping that she could visit with us today." She had intended to refer to Sam as "a boy traveling with us", but she knew instinctively that Miriam would see through it.

Miriam said, "I'm running out of time. So I am getting right to the point. I have the "sight". Had it all my life but it wasn't very strong. Seems the weaker I get the stronger it gets. I have been waiting for you two for weeks. A Black woman and a woman with silver hair. You are going to take Alia with you when you leave here."

"You don't even know us." Michonne was startled. Carol noted that she didn't say no.

"I know you. I have the sight. You have sorrow all around you because you lost your children. Sorrow is a color all of its own. I must tell you Alia's story and then you will know why you will take her with you." She stopped talking and Carol picked up the glass of water that was sitting beside her bed and helped the sick woman drink a small sip.

Miriam went on, "My boy David went off to college at Charlottesville. Met a Black woman and got married. Sharyn was a beautiful girl, inside and out. David and Sharon were meant to be together and they wanted to start a family right away. That didn't happen and wasn't going to ever happen."

"Sharyn had a friend, her roommate at UVA. She was the only bridesmaid at Sharyn and David's wedding. The lawyer friend got pregnant, and she gave the baby to David and Sharyn. That was Alia. The friend visited them at least twice a year in their home so that she could see her child. Alia knew she was adopted, but the three of them were planning on telling Alia who her mother was that summer. Alia loved Andrea already so they were hoping that she would take the news well."

Michonne gasped, "Alia's mother was named Andrea?"

"Yes, Alia has a photograph of her Aunt Andrea. Blond woman with green eyes. Very beautiful. Alia gets her stubbornness from her I think. Alia's father was Black. Andrea met him in D. C. when she was there for some sort of training. She gave Alia to Sharyn and David because she loved both of them and knew they would love her baby. Now I give Alia to both of you so that you will love and protect her."

"Alia won't want to leave you." Carol knew the girl would want to be with her grandmother.

"I've leaving soon, and I don't want her here when that happens. Go outside now and wait. Alia will be along with her things in a little while. I know who you are from the colors around you. Don't have time to explain."

"Your colors have sorrow mixed in with the brightest golds, blues, and greens. You may look different on the outside but inside you are very similar. Loving and strong. I won't see you again for a very long time, but I'll be on the bridge when you cross over."

Carol and Michonne went outside to the Tahoe. Michonne turned to Carol, "Andrea went to UVA. Undergraduate and law school. Andrea's child is alive. I'm going to be Alia's mother. I owe Andrea that."

Jacob brought Alia out later with a small duffle back of her possessions. Alia was crying and she refused to look at anyone. Jacob had his arms around her. "I am sorry, Alia, but it is her time to go." He got out at his house.

Michonne took Alia to her room when they got back to the log house. Carol stopped to talk with Sam and Daryl who were outside playing with Buck. Later she went upstairs to find Michonne and Alia both weeping over photographs of David, Sharyn, and Andrea. Andrea had saved her life that night the farm fell and her baby was to be partly her daughter now. Carol joined them in weeping when she saw a younger Andrea playing peek a boo with a laughing Alia.

Carol and Michonne came downstairs and ordered Sam to stay away from Alia until she was ready to come out of the bedroom. Carol went to look for Daryl. Michonne was in the kitchen with Eric fixing lunch.

Daryl was out in one of the outbuildings. He came outside, "I found an almost new four wheeler in here. I'm charging the battery now."

"We've got a new addition to our family. Alia is joining us. Michonne is going to be her first mother, but I'm going to be her mother too."

Daryl leaned against the building, "So I'm going to be a daddy again. So soon too. She is a good kid. You and Michonne will make good co-mothers. Michonne can teach her how to kill and you can teach her how to cook."

"I'll have you to know Michonne is making lunch right now."

Daryl laughed, "We better go rescue her."

Sam and Alia were out on the deck when they went back in the house. "I told that boy to leave her alone."

"That boy ain't never going to leave her alone when he knows she is suffering. Remember me following you around the farm? Didn't know shit on what to say or do, but I just wanted to do something." Daryl put his arm around her, "Love you."

Carol burrowed into him. The memories of that summer so vivid in her mind. Daryl and Andrea had both been with her at the Dale's old rv the first night after Sophia ran into the woods. They had went out into the darkness to search her lost girl. Daryl reassuring her with Cherokee roses and his relentless search for Sophia. Daryl who had caught her in his arms when Sophia came out of the barn keeping her from running to her own death. Andrea coming to rescue her while the others left in the truck.

She finally pulled herself away, "Something is burning. We better save lunch."

Alia sat beside Sam at lunch. Jesse sat on the other side and he caught Michonne's eye. "Why don't we take these two pests on an adventure. I met a guy today who has an airplane in his barn. The farm belonged to a guy who lived in Richmond, but had a farm here."

Sam's eyes lit up and even Alia seemed interested. They finished lunch quickly and were ready to go. Daryl got the directions, "Carol and I will take the four wheeler if I can get it working."

Carol finished the dishes and she heard the roar of the four wheeler before she finished. Daryl was waiting in the driveway and she climbed on behind him. He headed out along the ridge line. There was enough of a breeze to make her glad that she had was wearing a jacket.

There was a path running along the hill. Daryl followed the faint trail until he came to a large flat rock that overlooked the other side of the hill. They climbed up onto the rock to look around. The hill was very steep on this side but you could see through to the highway. "There's an old path that comes off this hill down to an old graveled road that leads to that highway. It's a way out if we ever need it. It is completely overgrown on the other end."

They dangled their feet over the rock and shared a canteen of water. Carol watched the leaves dance in the wind, their season of basking in the sun and soaking up rain over. Over. She put her hand on his leg and squeezed, "I want you."

Daryl smiled at her, "Show me, don't tell me."

She kissed his ear and started unbuttoning his shirt, then rubbing his flat stomach with her hand. She rolled to the center of the rock and he followed, putting his shirt and pants down on the rough rock and then lying down. Carol stood above him taking off her clothes more slowly as he watched. His eyes drinking her in. She felt strong and loving and she knew that Miriam had seen that today. The trees and the underbrush seemed to shelter them here. "_Your colors have sorrow mixed in with the brightest golds, blues, and greens"._ She rubbed herself between her legs until she was fully wet and ready. She straddled Daryl and lowered herself toward him, fully erect and waiting for her. He put his hands on her ass and brought her toward him. It was quick but still sweet and full of love and they climaxed together. Daryl laughed, "I never had sex in the woods before or at least not with someone else. I used to jerk off in the woods around the prison all the damn time. Those low cut tank tops you wore." He ran his hands over her breasts and squeezed gently.

Carol looked up at the dwindling leaves, "You should have come visiting my cell about eleven o'clock. I could have used a hand about then or whatever else you were willing to offer."

"Damn, woman. I'll be thinking about that all day."

She grinned at him, "See me at eleven tonight. We can role play. Bashful Daryl and horny Carol at the prison." She stood up and stretched, "Let's find a creek and clean up before we meet people."

Daryl got up slowly, "Sometimes I feel so used, but I ain't complaining. Bashful Daryl likes horny Carol a whole damn bunch."

The ridge trail eventually led to a sloping path that led down to the creek. The water was ice cold but they were able to take a short quick bath and then dressed quickly again. Daryl followed the valley road to a modest home with the Tahoe parked in front.

Jesse was working on the airplane engine while Sam and Alia were crawling out of the cockpit. Michonne was standing with an older man. Daryl hurried toward Jesse and Carol walked toward Michonne who gave her a speculative glance and then grinned, "Took the long way around?"

Carol smirked at her, "We were enjoying a ride out in the clean country air."

Jesse slammed the hood of the engine shut, "Move back everyone, I'm going to try to start it."

The engine started on his first try and Carol knew that nothing would keep Jesse or Daryl from taking to the skies.

Daryl looked at Carol, "I better stay down here."

She thought of all the times Daryl had pushed his dreams aside to tend to Merle and then everyone else. Carol shook her head, "Go on. We'll wait here." She took the digital camera that was in her jacket pocket and took a photo of Jesse and Daryl in front of the plane.

Jesse taxied down the paved runway. Daryl sitting beside him. Jesse sent the plane charging down the pavement and it lifted into the air and began to climb along a path that took it down the valley.

Daryl watched the world unfold itself in a way that he had never experienced before. Soon they were out of the valley and flying high above the highway. He figured that Jesse was leaving himself a place to land in case things went south.

Jesse glanced at him. "Ready for your first lesson."

The sky was blue above him and the world down below was awash with the last of autumn, "Hell, yes."

Jesse was a good teacher and he must have nerves of steel to turn over the controls to a guy who had never been in an airplane before. Daryl loved every second of the flight and it was too soon over for him. Jesse brought them in carefully, explaining every step of the way. They landed smoothly. Daryl could see that Carol had Sam by the hand not letting him go until the plane came to a complete stop.

He hopped out and met the boy's enthusiastic welcome with a hug of his own. He kissed Carol even if there were all kinds of damn people around.

Alia had raced toward them with Sam. Jesse hugged her with his natural grace, "Think we can talk Michonne into taking a ride with me?"

Alia smiled at him, "I'll go with you."

Michonne went with him on his next flight out. Jesse was difficult enough to resist in ordinary circumstances, but Jesse around an airplane had an unfair advantage. She didn't stand a chance. He glanced at her when they were flying over the highway, "You okay? Want to go back?"

"No, not yet." She cleared her throat and added, "I have to stay with Alia. I'm going to be her mother."

His blue eyes met her somberly, "She is a special girl. Wanted to fly with me. Not scared a bit." Jesse stared out into the horizon, "I'm just going to come right out and say this, I'm in love with you. I'm not expecting you to fall into my arms and swear undying love right now. I just want you to know that I would do everything in my power to protect you and Alia. No one could love you more than I do."

Michonne thought about Rick. She had been half way in love with him before they reached Alexandria and she still cared about him. It was different with Jesse. He was like that song that her mother used to like to sing, "Easy like Sunday morning." Easy to like, easy to trust, and easy to fall in love with. It would be sensible to not rush into anything. Was this some rebound thing? Jesse made her feel beautiful and sexy, and he loved the warrior part of her. He made her feel both loving and powerful. The man told her he loved her and he deserved a reply, "Don't stay in Charlottesville. Come and find me and tell me then that you love me. I'll have an answer by then."

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't think Daryl is going to be dragging his heels either. He loves Carol too much to stay away. Aaron has to get back to Eric."

Jesse took two excited children up for a quick flight next. Sam enjoyed it and Alia loved it. She was full of questions about the instruments and the airplanes. She was very disappointed when they landed so soon.

Carol was next. She found herself enjoying the flight and liking Jesse even more. Michonne must be an idiot not to fall for this guy. She felt protective of Jesse. He would have been a perfect younger brother. Michonne should love him because he was so lovable.

Daryl demanded another trip. It was getting late and he wanted to fly into the setting sun even if it was only for five minutes. The mountains rolled beneath them like a green, brown, gold, and orange ocean and they flew toward the sunset as if there was nothing holding them to earth. Then, Jesse taught him how to turn the airplane safely and easily.

Back on earth they pushed the airplane toward its makeshift hangar. Jesse checked the fuel supply there and planned for another flight tomorrow. He and Daryl make sure that the families got back to Alexandria safely.

Jesse and Michonne took the four wheeler back. Michonne found herself holding on tightly to him as he sped along behind the Tahoe. His body was strong with plenty of muscle but still compact and graceful. They arrived back at the house too soon.

Shawn and Jada had made pizza again. They ate inside and then the adults drifted outside to sip some of the Thompson's fine whiskey. Carol curled up beside Daryl on a chair. The others scattered around them talking. She and Michonne left to put the children to bed.

Carol waited in Sam's room until he finished his shower. He came back in his briefs and t-shirt. "Thank you for going after Alia today."

"Couldn't let you lose your soul mate." She spoke lightly, because she wasn't sure how much to tell him.

"When are we going back?"

"Christie will check everyone tomorrow morning. They'll head for Charlottesville tomorrow afternoon. We'll be going toward Alexandria tomorrow morning. Jesse and Daryl are going to follow along with the plane sure we get back safely."

"I could stay here forever." He looked sleepy and Carol felt the overwhelming tenderness toward him. She had called him her son today and he owned a piece of her heart.

"Goodnight, Sam. Now go to sleep and we'll make pancakes in the morning." She tucked the covers up around and bent to kiss his forehead. "Don't be sneaking in to keep Alia awake, or you're really in trouble. I'll send Daryl after you."

"Trouble is my middle name. Samuel Trouble Dixon, that's me." He smiled at her and she felt him take over more of her heart. "Tell Daryl I ain't afraid of him. More afraid of you than him."

Carol turned the light off, "That is enough with the sass. No more. "

"I am sorry. I love Daryl. I was just trying to be funny."

Sometimes you have to say it first. "I love you, Sam."

"I love you too. May I call you Mama Carol?"

The kid always pushed every button and jumped every step he came to. "Yes, goodnight, Samuel Trouble Dixon."

Daryl scooted over when she walked onto the deck. Michonne was still upstairs and Shawn and Jada were gone. They were coming for breakfast. Christie and Morgan were inside talking. Aaron and Eric had disappeared. "Where is Jesse?"

"He went upstairs to tell Alia goodnight. Just bashful Daryl and horny Carol in the moonlight." Carol took a sip of whiskey. "Sam has claimed you as his father. He says his name is Samuel Trouble Dixon. Be prepared to be called something reflecting your new status. Dad maybe?"

"What is he calling you?" He put his arm around her and she leaned into him.

"Mama Carol. Now finish your drink and let's go play in our bedroom. Horny Carol is going to seduce bashful Daryl. I don't want you going off to the fleshpots of Charlottesville without a good reason to miss me."

"Are you trying to get me drunk so that you can take advantage of me?" Daryl kissed her neck and then slid his hand up under her sweater to her breast. He massaged each breast and then took possession of a nipple with his hand while they kissed. Carol pushed him back, "One outdoor activity a day. You keep doing that and there will be moons all over the place out here. Come on, not Bashful Daryl. Let's go to bed."

**AN**

**I loved Andrea and I resurrect any chance I can get. This time she lives in her daughter Alia. The only way I can see Andrea not going to Alia would be that she thought that Alia died when Fort Detrick was bombed to control the virus. I didn't write that in this chapter so just consider it as canon.**

**My grandmother had the "sight". It's a mountain thing. Some "sighted" people claim that there see auras around people that are different colors. So Miriam sees their "sorrow" as a color that they share. Carol and Michonne are green, blue, and gold and that means that they are both loving and strong.**

**Miriam tells them that she will see them when they cross the bridge. That is my personal way to visualize moving from this existence to the next one. **

**I loved writing this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. I guess I write what the show never gives us. **

**Review if you like it. **


	16. Beyond Tomorrow

Beyond Tomorrow

Daryl tucked the covers around Carol. She wasn't asleep yet, the well-insulated log house was warm, and she was in no danger of chilling lying so close to him. He just liked babying her for a change. Just reminding her that he never wanted her to be cold in the night. Reminding himself that tomorrow night she would be in Alexandria and he would be in Charlottesville.

Being with Carol was making him weak. He felt like that dumbass boy with his finger stuck in the dike only instead of water the dike was holding back his feelings for Carol. The first real leak appeared outside Terminus when his overwhelming joy at seeing her alive in the woods outside the death camp had propelled him into her arms. He had followed her around after that like a love struck school boy.

Then they went to Atlanta to find Beth. Just him and Carol and a dead city. Talking. Sleeping so close to him that he knew when she went to sleep and that she hadn't been haunted that night by bad dreams. Seeing her sleeping peacefully on the bunk bed the next morning. Knowing that he loved her. Hoping that there was a tomorrow for them.

Everything went to shit in Atlanta and he went back to feeling numb. Back with his finger holding back the dike until she kissed his forehead and his sorrow over losing Beth and his guilt over not protecting Carol came back. He wallowed a bit in his sorrow and guilt because he knew how to handle that kinda shit. Wasn't like loving somebody.

He was on cruise control until Morgan showed up and started treating Carol like she was available. Single. On her own. Might want more than she was getting from Daryl. Rage and guilt gave way to jealousy. Daryl smiled when he remembered his Dear Hunter plan to win Carol. Cleaning himself up and plopping into Carol's bed pretending that he just wanted to flop there because the house was so crowded.

That dumbass plan worked because Carol loved him almost as much as he loved her. The dike had leaks all over the damn place and he was barely treading water here. He was, God help him, just going with the flow.

Now there was Sam. An orphan child. The boy who had extorted cookies and kindness from Carol and who she had risked her life for when the Wolves came. It was strange watching Carol with her finger in the dike trying to stem her love for that sneaky kid. Watching her gradually allowing Sam carve out his own place in her heart.

It had been great entertainment until that day he had taken them both outside the walls. One of the happiest times in his life, just being outdoors with the two of them. Showing Sam how to snare rabbits and how to protect himself. Somewhere in that afternoon he realized that he really liked that kid. That Sam had carved out his own place in his heart. That he didn't want to miss this chance to be a father.

The Universe had given him Carol, Sam, and now Alia. He had people that he loved in this house and more back in Alexandria.

It was time to stop living day to day. Time to start thinking beyond tomorrow.

"Carol, remember that night in the barn when Rick told us that we were "The walking dead", and I told him we weren't dead?"

Carol sat up. "Yes, Rick wasn't right. We're not dead. We're trying."

"Rick was right that night, about us anyway. I was walking around like a dead man. You were frozen inside. I was pissed at Rick for saying that, and I wanted to prove to Rick that he was wrong. We've both changed. We gotta stop living from day to day. We have three groups that we believe are good people, Alexandria, Salem Valley, and Charlottesville. How do we get these groups in one place all working together to make our little corner of the world safer?"  
Carol got out of bed and turned on a lamp. She began to pace and Daryl could almost see her mind clicking. "We need to get Jacob, Deanna, and Elise together to talk this over. Jacob's group are food producers, Alexandria has all sorts of experience in sustainable living and technical expertise, and Elise has soldiers and scientists."

"They can't stay separated. Alexandria is too small to take him many more people. Salem Valley is too small and there isn't enough flat land to support more people. Charlottesville may be too large." Daryl contemplated Carol's nearly nude body. Her sleep shirt revealed more than it concealed. Deceptively delicate with long slender bones. Graceful. He sighed and tried to keep his concentration on this conversation, "You talk to Deanna and I'll talk to Elise. We'll talk to Jacob in the morning before we go. Just get them thinking about joining forces."

Carol sat down beside him on the bed, "Jada and Shawn told me one time when things got better that they wanted to live in the Shenandoah Valley and raise horses. Let's talk to them first."

Daryl nuzzled her neck, "I can feel the wheels turning in your head. You won't sleep a wink tonight. I need to distract you. Just for your own good."

Carol laughed, "Are you sure that you are up for the job? We've been busy a couple of times tonight already. You need your rest." She put her hand on his thigh and squeezed gently.

Daryl looked down at her hand. The palm narrow and her fingers long and tapering. Hands of an artist or a musician. He loved her hands and he was almost embarrassed at how easily he was turned on at the sight of those hands touching his body.

He eased back on the bed holding Carol. "I'm going to talk to Jesse. He has flown all over Virginia. We're looking for a town in the Shenandoah Valley. Out in the country with farms all around, but with a college or with some sort of high tech business located there. Maybe a hospital. Good water supply. We find the town and we spend the winter putting up fences. Clearing out the dead. Gathering supplies."

Carol yawned, "You need to bring Elise to Alexandria to talk. Deanna will listen. Even if they don't sign on? We can decide for ourselves." She turned on her side and was soon asleep.

Daryl spooned her. He wasn't always so clingy but he wanted to have his last waking memory to be the feeling of Carol close to him.

TWDTWDTWD

Jacob and Esther were just finishing breakfast when they got there early the next morning. Carol and Daryl outlined their plan. Jacob and Esther exchanged glances, and then Jacob spoke, "I'll visit with the others in the next few weeks. Each family will decide for themselves. You need a town like Clendenin. It's maybe twenty miles from here. Good farmland close by. Small town. It has a Walmart, grocery stores, a community college, and a hospital. There's a courthouse, a few restaurants, tractor dealership, and home improvement store. Lot of dead though. Take a bunch of people to clear the town out. No one from here ever scavenged there."

Carol was encouraged. Jacob hadn't said "No". He was too wise to jump into anything but he had to know how vulnerable Salem Valley was. The Wolves would have torn it apart.

Sam and Alia were up and almost packed when they got back. Daryl and Jesse visited with Jada and Shawn while Christie and Morgan did "rounds" at the church. Carol checked the doors and windows and locked the house up.

Everyone kept their goodbyes short. Jesse and Daryl had Shawn drop them off at the airplane. Michonne drove and Carol comforted Alia when they drove past her former home. Her grandmother had insisted that she not come back. They had said their goodbyes. Jacob had told them that morning that Miriam was in a coma.

They were back on the open highway before they saw the airplane. Shawn had rigged up radio communication between the Tahoe and the airplane. "Good morning, my angel. Are you missing me yet?" It was Jesse teasing Michonne.

Eric grabbed the receiver, "Jesse, I thought we were keeping our love secret? Now everybody will know."

Jesse laughed, "I missed you too much. My bad. The road is clear for ten miles unless a walker pops out of the fields and the woods. Daryl and I are going to go see Clendenin from the air and maybe take some photos. We'll be back with you shortly. Tell Michonne to slow down and I miss her a lot more than I miss you."

Michonne took the receiver, "Don't tell me how to drive. Better pay attention to your flying."

"My sweet Samurai, just slow down so that you don't get too far ahead of us. See you soon."

Michonne muttered a few rude words but Carol noticed that she did slow down considerably. There was an occasional walker sighting and two staggered out of the woods toward the road but Michonne veered around them.

About thirty minutes later the radio crackled again, "It's time for another report from your eyes in the skies reporter. We're seeing some activity about seven miles north of your location. Be advised that there are several dead unfriendlies on the road there. Looks like five or six."

"Should we take a detour? Take them out?" Eric had the receiver.

"Don't see any more around and there isn't a detour close. Get your swords and machetes ready. You cross a bridge and they are congregated about a mile north." Daryl had the receiver. "Be safe, we're right with you now. Just look up." Eric put the sunroof back and they could hear and see the airplane. Everyone waved and Jesse took the plane higher and ahead of them. The walkers were off the road when they got there and they drove by without a fight.

The next "Eyes in the Skies" report came before they reached the intersection that led to Alexandria, "Got a sizable herd hanging out at the next intersection. Keep coming toward us but be prepared to turn around if you need to."

Eric knew the area well, "Just go slow. The road is wide and open. We see anything in our way we'll turn around."

Michonne cursed, "I don't like this. Jesse is going to do something stupid. I just know it."

No one said anything for the next five minutes. Michonne was driving slowly and everyone's eyes were glued to the road. They rounded a curve and saw the herd milling around in the road ahead of them. "Just hang tight, we got this." Daryl's voice on the radio and suddenly the airplane skimmed the walkers and landed on the highway about fifty yards from the walkers. The noise of the airplane seemed to stir the dead into movement and they began to amble toward the still idling plane.

The bulk of the herd had left the intersection but there were a few stragglers who were slow to move toward the noisy plane. Jesse taxied another fifty yards down the highway and finally all the walkers were headed toward the plane. Michonne hit the gas and they sped through the intersection safely. Jesse did the same with the airplane. The airplane seemed to touch the treetops as it became airborne.

Carol held her breath and prayed with every ounce of her agnostic heart for Daryl and Jesse to be alright. She let her breath out and said, "Thank you." Daryl had asked her this morning about their getting married. "We've got a son and one half of a daughter. I love you. Just think about it. No pressure." She hadn't given him an answer. She had one now.

"Now that's what I'm talking about." Jesse's breezy voice, "Just another game of Walker Tag."

"Well, Carol has stopped breathing and Michonne is hyperventilating. The kids have something to say."

"You rule, Fly Man. How is Daryl doing?" Sam was a little concerned about his new dad.

"That was amazing, Jesse. I would have loved to have been with you." Alia was exultant.

Michonne took the receiver, "Damn it, Jesse. I would kick your ass all the way to Charlottesville if you were here."

"Now, now, my Ebony Queen, a simple thank you will do." Jesse chided. "Do you miss me yet?"

Michonne snarled, "Yes, I do. Carol is breathing again and wants to talk to Daryl. Put him on."

Carol took the receiver, "Daryl?"

"Carol?" Daryl low rumbling voice was in her ear and she blinked back the quick tears, "Yes, I do."

He didn't answer for a moment, "I'm going to tell Jesse. He's going to be the best man because he didn't laugh at me when I was screaming like a little girl a few minutes ago. Love you. Give Sam and Alia a hug for me." Daryl obviously had forgotten that everyone in the car could hear him."

"Stay safe. I love you too. See you soon."

"Not soon enough."

TWDTWDTWD

Team Family turned out in force to welcome them home. Judith demanded that Michonne hold her and then it was Carol and finally they sat together with Judith on both their lap's and Sam and Alia at their sides.

Sam and Alia went upstairs to Sam's room while they talked to the others about Alia. Carol waited until everyone but Rick and Carl had drifted back to their jobs. She mentioned that Daryl was glad to know that Elise and her soldiers were at Charlottesville.

Rick was casual, "So Elise was part of the plot all along?"

Carol smiled, "She is securing Charlottesville a site to make more vaccines. Some of the soldiers from Fort Belvoir are there too. Christie is joining them." She wasn't getting involved in the Rick-Elise-Michonne-Jesse situation. It wasn't her business. She would let Michonne talk to Rick about the Clendenin settlement.

Deanna predictably adored Alia when she and Michonne asked if they could add a member to their family. Alia left with Sam and Buck who were taking her on a tour of Alexandria. Maggie handed out tea as the four women settled down to talk.

Carol decided there was no time like the present to talk to Deanna and Maggie about Clendenin, "There's a town between Alexandria, Salem Valley, and Charlottesville named Clendenin. It's heavily populated with walkers right now but we hope that the soldiers will clean it out, put up walls and fences. Farmers will come from Salem and move into the farms outside of town. We'll have room for more people there.

Deanna stood up and looked out the window toward Reg's rose garden. Carol had noticed that there were still roses blooming in the sheltered space. "I'll think about it. It would be good to have more food production and not be dependent on finding food outside these walls. What else does the town have to offer?"

"A hospital, a community college, a courthouse, schools, and businesses. It has lot of walkers. So many that we think that it hasn't been picked over. We're also hoping that Elise will bring her soldiers and maybe the Charlottesville group will move there too."

"I'll talk to the town council. Winter is coming and we won't make any decisions until the place is cleared out. A cold winter might weaken the dead so that removing them will be easier."

Maggie asked nonchalantly, "There are farms close to the town?"

Carol nodded, "Farms circle the town according to Daryl. One of the businesses in town sells farm equipment. Jada's a veterinarian and there are all sort of farm animals at Salem Valley."

Deanna mused, "Courthouse will have maps and deeds. You will need some sort of government to distribute the land and settle disputes. I'll talk to the council. Maybe Rick, Michonne and I can go out there and look the place over sometime this winter."

TWDTWDTWD

Four days later Michonne went on a run with Rick and Glenn. Sam and Alia were visiting with their teacher. Carol was cooking dinner with Judith in her high chair while Buck dozed at the back door. Judith was being particularly adorable, waving her hands and cooing at Carol.

"You're just a doll baby. That's what you are." Carol kissed Judith's toes and fingers and the baby smiled at her looking so much like Lori that Carol wiped her eyes.

"First time I've seen you do that." Enid's flat voice startled everyone. Carol jumped, Buck barked, and Judith's sunny smile vanished and she looked afraid.

Enid was standing at the kitchen door. Apparently she had crept in the house and all the way down the hall without Carol knowing she was there. "First time I did what?" Carol asked.

"Be so affectionate to Judy." Enid walked over to the high chair and picked up Judith who went back to being all smiles.

Carol considered Enid before replying. Enid never seemed to have much to say to Carol before. . Carl had told her that the girl had lost all her family and had eventually wandered into Alexandria. Enid had an edge about her, but what survivor didn't?

"I've always loved her, but maybe I felt more comfortable keeping her at distance in the past." Might as well admit the truth. _Carl is at school. She's cutting class again._

Enid unexpectedly smiled at Carol, "Judith is special. She has something that breaks down all our resistance eventually."

_Sophia would be close to her age now if she had lived. This girl has lost everyone she loved and her adoptive parents don't seem to care very much about her. She has a chip on her shoulder, but only the strong survive in this world._

"I could use some help while I make dinner. You tend to Judith and I'll cook. Then, you can eat dinner with us."

Enid rolled her eyes, "Have to sing for my supper?"

She was being rude and dismissive, but Carol remembered herself at that age. "It's lasagna."

Enid finally grinned, "I love lasagna. It's a deal."

Judith went to sleep and Carol spent a pleasant afternoon teaching Enid how to squeeze out perfect rolls and making a huge amount of lasagna. "We're making enough for two dinners. I'll freeze half of it."

"So you really are the happy homemaker? I noticed that you gave up the Sally Sunshine routine. Why did you do that anyway?" Enid paused in her roll making and looked at Carol.

"Because I didn't think I could be who I really was and be accepted here."

Enid nodded, "They aren't bad people, but they are so clueless. I like this you better. Carl said that you had a daughter about our age.

_Had a daughter. That had defined her for so long. Remember that this child has lost both her parents. "_I think about her every day, but I have given myself permission to be happy. Do you know what I mean?"

Enid squeezed the roll too hard and then started over. "I feel guilty because I made it and Mom and Dad didn't."

Carol took the mutilated dough from the girl and put it away, "You get to start over. Your parents would want you to be happy. Sophia is happy that I have people that love me and that love." She gave Enid another lump of dough and a little pat on the back.

Everyone began to drift back into the house and Carol decided to bake both pans of lasagna. Michonne and Rick came back with some looted wine. Before long the house was full because there is nothing like lasagna to draw people in. Carol looked out the kitchen window and sighed because it was getting dark outside. The days were so short now and the nights were almost always cold.

The front door opened unexpectedly and Jesse popped in, "Honey, I'm home." He drew out home long enough to make everyone laugh and right behind him was Daryl who brushed by everyone on his way to the kitchen. He grabbed Carol and whirled her around, "I couldn't stay away too long. Missed you too much."

Carol kissed him, but sent him upstairs to shower, "We'll wait dinner on you."

"You could come upstairs with me," Daryl wheedled.

"Too many hungry people waiting. You hurry up." Jesse had already disappeared to a basement shower.

Rick asked Daryl about Charlottesville and Clendenin at dinner. Carol noticed that everyone stopped talking to listen.

"Charlottesville is reasonably secure. They have cleared several buildings and will be able to start manufacturing the vaccine soon. It's a good sized town and it will take a long time to have it all clear. The Fort Belvoir soldiers are going to do that. Elise is moving her soldiers outside Clendenin tomorrow. They are going to go in and clear the center of town and the shopping mall. They put up fences and then draw the walkers out with noise. They'll haul the bodies off to a mass grave. They leave the fences up once they secure the area and then just clear it out in a grid pattern until they have the area secure. They are staying in Clendenin this winter and gradually widening the safe zone."

"Elise is staying in Clendenin? Isn't she coming here? She needs to meet with Deanna," Rick stopped feeding Judith and looked at Daryl.

"She won't visit until her soldiers are in a secure place. Jesse and I are going to take her to Salem Valley and here."

Glenn looked at Maggie, "We're interested in getting a farm. One of us knows something about being a farmer." He squeezed her hand and Maggie leaned on his shoulder.

The evening passed quickly. Buck was given a final walk and the children went to bed. Michonne and Jesse disappeared for a walk and Carol and Daryl went upstairs.

Daryl was sitting in the chair by the window when Carol came out of the bathroom, "I want to get married at Clendenin. Jacob to do the ceremony. Then we can stay at the log house for a few days."

"When?" _Daryl has it all planned_.

"Christmas. I think we'll have Clendenin cleared out. Michonne and Jesse can take Sam for a few days."

Carol laughed. She had the mental image of Jessie and Daryl planning this wedding. She decided to trust Jessie. "Sounds good." She sat on his lap and nuzzled his neck, "It feels like Christmas having you home tonight."

He began to unbutton her pajama top, "I think it's time to unwrap our presents and play with our toys." He kissed her shoulder and she scooted off his lap. "Hey, where you going?"

Carol turned down the bed coverings. "Not doing a show in the window. Christmas can happen over here."

Daryl grinned and turned off the light.

AN

This story has slowed down because I just can't seem to get through writer's block. I hope you like this new chapter.

Review.


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